The Civia Loring owes its name to Loring Park, right outside of downtown Minneapolis.

It is no surprise to me that this bike came from such a mecca of velo-utilitarianism.

I mean how many bikes in Minnesota lack a rack or fenders? Any?

This their idea of a track bike and this is how they get to the track.

My point is that riding in Minneapolis requires an even keeled ratio of function and flair.

And that is exactly what Civia achieved with the Loring.

Let’s breakdown the build:

When I heard my local shop, Loose Nuts Cycles, would be Atlanta’s sole Civia seller, I quickly looked up this new to me name.

My wife, Stacey, and I, spent years on track bikes without brakes much less racks nor fenders.

Now with our son Otto in tow, we desperately needed a dose of velo-utilitarianism.

Reaching for the Loring was a no brainer for us. Well worth the investment.

Comprised of a solid frame, reliable components and all the right accoutrements right out the box.

We’ve since both logged innumerable miles running both Otto and errands around town.

Our first addition was a BoBike Mini. BoBike makes the best bike seats for kids bar none.

This allowed us to keep and eye on Otto as he tagged along. So far he has loved every ride.

For more info on the Loring visit civiacycles.com

To see some Civias in person and determine which is right for you stop by Loose Nuts.

For more photos of various Loring builds check out flickr.

And lastly, here’s an albeit outdated bike check from Civia themselves: