Ever since the days have been getting longer, I have been missing biking something fierce. I do have a “winter bike” in the garage, but it is not winterized enough to handle whatever is on the roads right now (ice covered with slush) and Markus is still not old enough for me to have enough time to just myself, I have not been using it.
My dad sent me the picture of this bike the other day and I took a look into it. For one thing, this bike gets it exactly right (by my standards) as far as accessories go. It has:
– rear rack
– integrated 7 speed hub
– fenders
– chain case
– lights
– hub dynamo (I have never seen this standard on any bike. I actually went to the store to have my bike fitted with it but the store owner talked me out of it because it is non standard for my bike and very expensive)
I absolutely love that it has all these features and it is a step-through.
The price on the handlebar translates to just under $1000 in Zagreb. I looked this bike up and there is a store in Toronto that carries the brand and these bikes go for $1300 in the States (so more in Canada).
On one hand this bike is very much for people like me. It has all the features that I would want on the bike except for one – looks. This bike is not intended for sporty people and yet it is painted for the lycra set. I don’t get it. It is like the otherwise perfect purse that is made to look like a plastic bag on the outside. Maybe it is made for women who want to feel sporty without breaking a sweat.
This bike is a more upscale version of the Africa I am currently riding. Apart from having lights and dynamo hub (drool), I am assuming that it is a smoother and faster ride because it has more gears (7 rather than 3), bigger wheels and it is one of those posh brands that girly transportation blogs write about. It is aluminium which makes it lighter, but I prefer steel so that’s a draw. on the other hand, my bike is half (or even third) of the price and it looks more stylish. Big drawback of both bikes is that I can’t fit three kids on either.