“Spot Brand is one of the pioneers in belt-driven bicycles, offering a belt-drive option for jest about every bike in its line-up. The Ajax is no different, pairing the maintenance-free Gates Carbon Drive [CenterTrack] with Shimano’s easygoing Alfine 8-speed internally geared hub to make for an extremely capable city bike. Disc brakes add to the package, with the carbon fork featuring nifty dropouts that are oriented to compensate for braking forces. Spot Brand’s proprietary aluminum tubing is shaped, butted and tapered, imparting the frame with a particularly lively feel, perfect for zipping around town. The understated graphics package doesn’t scream ‘Steal me!’ and a stealth, matte-black finish will never garner any gripes from us. A generous size range (42-62 centimeters) ensures there’s an Ajax for everyone—a good thing, since this is one townie that’s hard to find fault with.”
