BC-05 Deluxe Women's Beach Cruiser $135
I have already mentioned this bike. However, I was only thinking of how beautiful it was, not how practical or intelligent of a choice it would be to buy one. Of course, it would be best if you found one used and recycled it but if you aren't lucky enough to find one of these secondhand, I say try Chubby's One-Stop Cruiser Shop. I will probably buy my next bike from them. They have incredible retro designs in all the luscious retro colors, and their bikes aren't expensive at all, while Schwinn is now selling retro cruisers like this and this for $260 to $480.
Now, you may have seen this lovely lace-inspired bike basket all over the blogosphere. It's lovely but how serious is it for hard-core shopping. If you really want to use your bike as an alternative to your car you will need something larger. I suggest something like this:
a twin rear rack basket, popularly known as a newspaper carrier basket.
In college, I used to have an old blue Schwinn with a basket like this one. It was the handiest thing ever. I could ride my bike to buy groceries or do my laundry because I had a place to put everything. No matter the weight, if you had it equally distributed, the whole thing worked like a charm. It also didn't hurt that the Fan area in Richmond is scattered with coin laundromats and little neighborhood markets, so that smaller but frequent trips were no bother.
They still make these baskets and hopefully they will become popular again as people try to use their cars less. This company, Wald, is the main manufacturer. If you have a bike that you use for errands, check them out. Besides this style, they also have folding ones that don't take up as much room when empty.
So, what happened to my great bike you ask?
The stupidity of youth happened. I left it when I packed up and moved to Northern Virginia. In fact, I left it attached to my building's metal railing with a Kryptonite lock. I shirked responsibility for my belongings and someone had to go to the trouble to have it removed. Now I wish I had just stored it at my Dad's house.
C'est la vie.
2 comments:
Ooooo. I need that basket for my tandem!
Oooh, lovely! I got a Schwinn last year (cruisers aren't that easy to get in Australia sadly) in red and white. Like riding an armchair, so very comfy and stylish. And I love those wire baskets you posted. In Amsterdam I saw panniers made from mexican oilcloth which were also ubercute. Glad you liked the Mela Purdie - picked up some cheap knits for muslins this morning...
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