Rolling into Summer

Picked up this amazing used Batavus bike not long ago. It was part of the Rolling Orange bike tour fleet. These bikes are being decommissioned and replaced with fancier Von Moofs. Rolling Orange is a bicycle tour company out of Gowanus Brooklyn. Shelly, the proprietor, said he only advertises to Dutch tourists because they quote “know how to ride” and it’s sad but true compared to your average American tourist.

I wanted a bike that I could lock outside and use to make weekly runs to Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. I needed something that could take the weight off my shoulders.

For $19 I picked up this side bag from Ikea (it’s formal name is Pannier, but who calls it that?). It’s easy to remove and works perfectly for hauling groceries.

Today I shared her with a friend and her son immediately tried to climb in the saddle. Then I showed him how parents and kids would ride it in Holland.

She doesn’t have a name yet, Emily is going to offer suggestions. It’ll have to be a Dutch name like Annabette or Yoris. Or maybe my favorite, weird tree, who’s fruit is a natural repellent and who’s timber burns at a high heat, The Osage Orange.

I still ride the Surly Steamroller when I’m going into the city. My fixie is my sports car. But this Batavus Personal fills that last mile in my Brooklyn life. The weekly errand miles you do when you don’t own a car.

And I’ve still got the Panasonic ten-speed with a child seat for family rides. She stays down in the basement. My son can ride his own bike, passing it on to his sister.

And although my wife, who’s inexperience is truly scary to ride with, will also be able to ride it. I now feel complete. We’ve got something that might be the most Versatile bike I’ve ever owned.