As more beginner cyclists are in the market for new bicycles, I receive more and more questions from readers asking what I think about various makes and models listed on the Budget Options page. People want nice bikes, but, understandably, they also want to save money - and myvintage bicycle recommendationis not for everyone. What about a simple, basic new bike that is classic and comfortable, at a reasonable price? After all, it seems that more and more manufacturers are starting to offer exactly that.
[screen capture of video via tankww2]The latest that has been brought to my attentionin that regard, is this promotional video from Bikes Direct - an online seller of extremely inexpensive mass-produced bicycles. The video shows cyclists riding colourful mixtes along a path lined with palm trees. The caption reads:"single and 3speed Windsor retro city bikes, style which was popular in the 50s, 60s and early 70s". These are not on the Bikes Direct website yet, but I imagine they soon will be - most likely priced in the $300s. What do you think - Do they look good to you and would you consider ordering?
I am always torn when asked for my own opinion: While I want to be objective, I simply don't like most of the lower-priced bikes that are out there at the moment.I have tried 80% or so of the bicycles on myBudget Optionslist, and so far very few of themhave made me feel that they are worth the price. It's one thing to spend a couple hundred dollars on a bike and not care, but a price tag in the range of $500-600 is a lot of money to me -too much money to spend on something that I believe is shoddily made, will likely require upgrades, will not feel entirely comfortable even with those upgrades, and may fall apart on me within a year. In the long run, I believe that such a bicycle may costmorethan an "expensive" bike. And I am especially surprised to hear of people choosing the lower-end bikes, and then buying Brooks saddles, leather grips, fancy lighting and expensive pannier systems to go with them. By the time they are done upgrading, the cost of the bike can reach a price point at which they could have gotten a higher-end bicycle - with many of those upgrades already included, not to mention with a better frame and higher quality components.Beyond that, I am not really sure what to say when asked for suggestions. I believe that a well-made, comfortable bicycle can be mass-produced at a reasonable price in the Far East. But I don't think it's happening yet.What has your experience been and what are your views on "budget bikes"?
Blue Sage sometimes called Russian Sage. It is really drought tollerent here in the desert but really, really hard to take photos of as blossoms are so tiny. It is blooming right now and starting to give me baby plants as it spreads well from seed.
These two ladies areIsha Ware and Caroline Robinson, from the neighborhood, and they reminded me of why I like bicycles in the first place.
Today I fitted my bikeMarianne with a very funky new set of dressguards (from Simeli) and dragged her outside to photograph. On three separate occasions, women walking down the street stopped to ask me about the bicycle. They were clearly happy to see such a bike - eccentric and undeniably "girly", with a colourful "thingie" on the wheel, flowers on the handlebars, and a shiny bell. Isha (pictured above) was wearing an outfit that was the exact same colour as Marianne's frame, and so naturally this had to be documented.
One young woman (not pictured here) told me that she wanted to buy a bicycle, but found bike shops to be male-oriented and intimidating. I remember lots of stories like this from 1-2 years ago, but I thought that things were a lot better now. Apparently they are not completely better; at least not yet. One of my main goals for Lovely Bicycle, is that ladies who have been disappointed or intimidated by bike shops can find the information they are looking for here.
A nice bicycle can make even people who are not into bicycles at all - just people who are passing by - smile and want to pet it. The very form of a nicely designed bicycle is welcoming; the texture of its components inviting. Maybe it's a "woman thing". Or maybe it's universal. But it sure is nice. Lovely bicycles for all!
Every Sunday from April to October, a stretch of Memorial Drive in Cambridge, Mass. is closed to motorists to create "Riverbend Park" -- a car-free road for the use of cyclists, rollerbladers, skateboarders and pedestrians.
I know that something similar to this event exists in Chicago and other cities. Do you make it a point to go to yours? Do you see these as beneficial?
In a recent post I wrote that, when roadcycling, I've come to prefer carrying just the bare minimum that fits in my jersey pockets instead of a full-fledged saddlebag or handlebar bag - as the latter I inevitably tend to overpack, ending up with a 30lb+ bike before I know it. However, I neglected to mention an object that is so small and unobtrusive that I basically think of it as part of the bike and forget it is even there: my saddle wedge tool pack.
Inside the tiny bag is a folding allen tool, a spare inner tube, 2 tire irons and an air cartridge - just enough to take care of one flat tire and any mechanical problem that can be fixed with a 1.5mm-6mm hex wrench.
So why carry tools if I can't use them? Because that way, others can help. When cycling alone, it would not be the end of the world to take a taxi home if my bike breaks down. But when cycling with another person, my mechanical malfunction can ruin their day as well. Last week I met up with another cyclist for a ride, and en route I noticed with horror that my front brake caliper had gotten misaligned, so that the left brake pad was rubbing the rim. I was unable to fix it myself, but I had the allen tool in my saddle wedge and my riding partner (who was not carrying her own tools that day) fixed it in 2 minutes. Having that tool pack made all the difference between doing the ride vs both of us having to go home. 
Following the Bridge Flake
The macarons at Laduree are of course no better than the everyday normal macaron’s sold on the streets of Paris. People flock here like seagulls, mostly tourists, because of the brand. Everyone wants to savour the Laduree macaron (or cakes) and sit in the café. Including us haha.
Long line at the patisserie.
Arc de Triomphe on Champs-Elysees.
Inside Laduree patisserie.
Arc de Triomphe and traffic at night.
A family member brought over a couple of old bikes to see whether I could sell them.The bikes came from the basement of an old property, and had been sitting there for several decades. They are in good condition, but nothing remarkable: Both are steel Columbia 3-speeds - most likely from the '80s. My plan was to post them on C-List and I had no intention to write about them here... But while snapping the photos, my imagination got the best of me and I started thinking about the bicycles' history.
The smaller of the two has 24" wheels and appears to be a children's bike. The larger one has 26" wheels, but the small frame suggests that it too probably belonged to a young person - maybe the teenage sister of the cream bicycle's pre-teen owner? I can picture them cycling together down a sleepy suburban street, trying to make it home in time for dinner - one on the cream bike, the other on the blue, their delighted squeals rising above the clicking of the hubs...
In addition to its smaller size, there is something about the little cream bicycle in particular that evokes gentle images of childhood and its possibilities - maybe the soft, delicate colour.
I wonder how typical it is - if at all - for parents today to pick up vintage children's bikes for their kids and restore them, instead of buying modern ones. Based on what I have seen, not very typical. Limited availability is probably a big reason: I don't actually see many children's vintage bikes around, even in Boston.
Speaking of twenty years ago... I was 11 then, and riding something not too different from these bikes - as was my younger sister. That could be why I felt compelled to photograph these in a golden light, and to wonder about their history.
The view from the valley floor, midway along the Pa'rus Trail.
The peak known as "The Watchman" towers over the Lower Canyon. The Virgin River flows through the canyon and over thousands of years has helped create this marvelous place.
The wind-whipped water from one of the waterfalls in the Upper Canyon.
A grove of trees in the Upper Canyon area, caught in the fleeting rays of sunshine.
The view from my campsite, near sunset.