[notatoad]

"modern bicycles" is a bit of a weird description, because the main defining characteristic of modern bicycles (even going back as little as the last 5 years) is a huge amount of variance in the design to suit specific purposes.

and there's plenty of companies making "city bikes" that don't require super-frequent mainenance and are designed for durability and ease of use. you can get a bike optimized for light weight, but you absolutely don't have to.