I have sold the car! Made the move because I was trying to save and with todays fuel costs, it wasn’t happening fast enough (just call me impatient). I have also been ‘fueled’ with a new found confidence after recently training and finishing (WOOO HOOO) the Le Race.
Thats me with my boss behind me… he over took me at this point, but I was very happy that i had a photo of him eating my dust.. can’t ya tell?
Now I am kinda obsessed with bikes, I want to get a nice commuter one. I could go and spend all my pennies on a brand new one. But I keep on thinking of those cute 1950′s looking bikes. The ones with the wicker baskets on the front, the covered chain, the pannier on the back. But how fast can they go? A friend from Denmark biked the le race aswell AND she beat me! She was cycling a hybrid bike. Kinda like a road bike but with slightly wider tyres, mud guards and panniers for carrying stuff. I think this is my mission, to find or make one out of parts that is similar. Hers is brought back from Denmark, so no buying something similar.
Bike pictures!
The Victoria Classic, The Pack Max, Rest: copenhagenize
Congratulations on finishing that race! That would have been so much fun!
Get the bike that’s pulling the dog
Well done on the race! I think the cute 1950s bike is the way to go!! Dye day soon?
I’ve been looking for ages for a lovely Dutch style bike like the Velorbis one, but they are quite expensive to import (no distributors here *sigh*) but I’m determined to get a second-hand one somehow! I do think though after reading a LOT -yes I got obsessed with bikes too
-I can tell you that by all accounts these bikes, if they’re built in Europe and not the cheap Asian ones, are a very good investment and will last many years because they’re so sturdy and well built and can be left out in all weathers.
I think if it’s speed you’re after maybe a hybrid might be a better choice as the Dutch ones are usually heavy but if you ‘re, like me interested in going at a steady pace taking in the scenery then I’d go for a Dutch one if you can get it.
Plus they are soo cool!
Oh and I wouldn’t mind your Danish friend beating you in a bike race-they’re practically born on bikes
We rode some of those granny bikes when we were in the Netherlands they’re surprisingly fast and nimble.
Can’t remember if it was in Amsterdam or Paris but there’s somewhere you can hire bikes where you just put in your credit card use the bike to get around then leave it at one of the multiple bike stands around the city once finished.
Thats seriously cool. I reckon Chch should have that… so European darling!
check out http://www.psbikes.com.au/ They distribute the lovely Velorbis bicycles in Australia and New Zealand
Kia ora Simone.
Alan Preston here in (Central) Christchurch.
I’m the author of
http://urbanbicycles.googlepages.com
- which I’m running as a (non-commercial) resource for promoting urban appropriate utility bicycles and utility cycling in New Zealand based on the Western European Cycletopias and my 10 years experience as a cyclist in Kyoto and other cities in Japan.
You’ll find links through to suppliers of European style bicycles in New Zealand there.
Reiker, Gofa V2, Velorbis may be what you’re after.
Caio!
Alan