Editors Pick
EDITOR’S PICK: Gear Up! It’s the Battle of the Bikes!
- 20th January
- Natasha Sholl 100
Bright colours help you ride faster, right? From vintage-hip to funky-rainbow, we check out the customised bicycle experience on Papillionaire and Jelly Bean Bikes.
Put your helmets on and get ready to roll. This week, Papillionaire and Jelly Bean Bikes go head to head as we road-test the bike customisation process.
Step 1: Choose a Model
Papillionaire has more of a vintage feel, so I follow my heart and choose the Sommer Model rather than the Classic. I have visions of riding down cobbled stone paths with a bottle of red wine in my wicker basket and a baguette over my shoulder. Both models come standard with 3-speed gearing.
Jelly Bean has only one model and 3-speed gearing is an extra $129. To even the playing field, I tick that option. This bike isn’t yet inspiring any fantasies involving brie or berets, but it’s not really geared towards that market. However, it does allow me to choose Small, Medium or Large based on my height, which is obviously important. I wonder if my short legs will be detrimental.
Step 2: Customise
Papillionaire allows me to choose a two-toned colour scheme and helpfully tells me that one option is out of stock. I am instantly drawn to the aqua / cream combination (which is in-stock, phew). That took all of three seconds so far! You can also choose black or cream tyres and upgrade the seat and grips to leather. In-keeping with my French fantasy, I upgrade.
The Jelly Bean customisation process takes a little longer and it becomes blatantly clear why the site has chosen its name. Not only can I choose from 10 bright frame colours, but everything from the chain to the crankset can be a different colour of the rainbow. Do I dare make my front and back wheels different colours? Hello, inner child.
Step 3: Check it out
For Papillionaire, I enter my postcode and I have the option of free pick-up,flat-packed delivery with self-assembly or delivery complete with mobile mechanic. Pick-up is in Prahran in Melbourne (there is a Sydney option too) but I don’t know if I’m quite ready to ride home yet (it’s been a while!) and I don’t know if the bike will fit in my car. I remember my last Ikea bookshelf disaster (damn you, Expedit!) and opt for assembly by 
an expert. This brings my total order (including every perk possible) to $723. The site offers me free shipping with all accessories purchased as I check out, so I decide a matching mint helmet and flugel horn is probably a necessity.
Just when I’m ready to check out of Jelly Bean, I hit a snag. My blue chain and tan seat are not in stock. Surely I could have been made aware of this as I was choosing my colours? I’m redirected to the last page to customise my bike again and I’ve already forgotten what wasn’t in stock. I randomly choose other colours to “match” my Joseph-and-the-Amazing-Technicolour-Dreamcoat themed bike.
This time I make it through the check out process. Pick up from Richmond in Melbourne is free and delivery Australia-wide is $29. I’m a bit confused because the FAQ section says delivery Australia-wide is $50. I choose not to dwell on this saving. I check out the FAQ’s again to see if my delivered bike will come assembled. It tells me that “all you need to do is fit your seat, pedals, handlebars and front wheel. Your back wheel is in, your chain and brakes are adjusted and ready to go.” That sounds easy enough, but I’m already breaking into a cold sweat having Expedit flashbacks.
Amusingly, the FAQ’s also clarify that Jelly Bean doesn’t deliver internationally, “only within Australia and Tasmania.” It doesn’t appear to be tongue-in-cheek and this leads to a host of Tassie jokes in the office. My pimped ride now costs $657 including delivery. Perks such as leather seats and a mechanic weren’t available. There was no up-sell for the ever-important flugel horn.
On Ya Bike
I found the Papillionaire site to be a smoother ride – it was more intuitive, the layout was cleaner and the experience was more user-friendly. Jelly Bean hit a few bumps in the road when it came to stock levels and having to navigate back and forth between pages.
I was more excited about my final Papillionaire creation, and even though it was more expensive, it came with more features and it had more to offer me. That being said, if fuchsia chains excite you more than tan wicker baskets, Jelly Bean Bikes may be more to your liking. If you get stuck in a flock (or is it a gaggle?) of lycra-clad, Cannondale-riding, serious cyclists, you may feel out of place. But if you’re looking to pimp your ride to work or spruce up your Sunday morning cycle for coffee and the paper, Papillionaire or Jelly Bean Bikes are definitely worth a look.
