Schwinn Suburban, Brown Brass, 50 cm frame, 5 speed, side pull brakes, kickstand, chain guard. $175
The sad fact is that bicycle frames made of brass are hard to find anymore* – we mostly see just the same old same old steel or aluminum or titanium frames**, with your occasional carbonite composite. Some early 19th century bikes were made of iron, making them even more suitable than modern bicycles for delivering the healthful benefits of vigorous exercise.
But this ride has an all-too-rare color that at least nods toward brass, & is a perfect casual street bike. You shift with one hand – the gears are all in back – leaving your other hand free to gesture like a crazy person as you cruise. It’s also the perfect bike for someone who kind of likes fenders but doesn’t want to overdo it.
* By “are hard to find” we mean “might be found in a museum somewhere”. Though it must be said the original velocipede (the primordial ancestor of all bicycles invented by Baron Carl von Drais in 1817) had brass bushings within the wheel bearings.
** For whatever reason we don’t see a lot of titanium frames down here.