Getting Hitched & Taking the Dutch Route

We finally did it! That's right, we bought a pair of Batavus bicycles. Over the Easter break, I dragged S we drove all over Antwerp & Ghent looking at bicycles. I've been longing for one of these Dutch style bicycles ever since we rode them through the tulip fields in the Netherlands. They are so incredibly comfortable to ride.

It wasn't easy chosing a bicycle. I really love the sleek look of the classic Dutch bike but most of the ones I like were steel frames which require more maintance. I also love the traditional black color too; looks so chic when riding in the city. But I won't be riding my bike in the city... I'll be using it for leisure rides through the country and near the seaside.

Browsing through the catalogs I discovered many styles I liked but either they didn't come in my size or they were only 3 speeds.

Last winter, we drove to Germany to look at bicycles and I fell madly in love with Gazelle's Miss Grace. Love, love, love the basket! Isn't she is a pretty little thing! I was already picturing my little basket full of flowers and fresh produce. Very European don't you think? Well, when I tried Miss Grace out for size my dreams of bringing her home ended rather quickly. The smallest size Miss Grace comes in is 50cm but she seem a bit bigger - at 5'1" I barely touch the ground. I also had a hard time getting the kick stand up as you have to sort of lift up the back end of the bike. And that beautiful basket? It completely threw off my balance. Let's just say I politely declined when the salesperson encouraged me to take Miss Grace out for a spin in the city. Had I ridden Miss Grace she definitely would have come home with me... of course with a few nicks & scratches. lol!

So which one did I buy in the end? The Batavus Lento. Isn't she cute?

The blue Lento is 7 speed & there are some cute girlie flowers on the body which aren't visible in the photo. She's super comfy too. The frame isn't as slender as in some of the classic models but I don't have to worry about rust - she's super low maintanence and she weighs in at 19 kilos (about 42lbs).

I'd like to get a little bag for her but I'm not sure if I'll choose a basket or one of these cool bags. What do you think?

Finding a bike carrier to carry these massively heavy bicycles proved to be a bit of a challenge. S did all sorts of research on bike carriers. Getting the car prep'd for the hitch & carrier proved to be way more expensive than we thought but it'll all be worth the fun. At least that's what I keep telling myself. lol! This past week we had the Thule carrier installed plus all the wiring redone since the carrier is designed for a European spec. car & of course ours is American. Unfortunately, they don't make the carrier we wanted for American spec cars.

So now we're just waiting for our bikes to arrive and we'll be all set. Hopefully, the good weather will hold out.

C's already enjoying his new wheels. ;)