When I visited my daughter in Holland two years ago, I was impressed by how the bicycle is so firmly embedded in the daily life of the Dutch. The bike paths are often wider than the streets, and there are vast parking lots for bicycles scattered across the landscape, especially at bus and train stations and other public venues. When my wife visited our daughter again several months later, she was equally astonished and commented that, for the Dutch, biking isn’t about “sport”, its a way of life. I might add, that you don’t see a lot of overweight and obese people in Holland; my daughter commented on how she lost some 35 pounds in the two years living there, while continuing to eat “ad lib” and without any dieting.

Since returning to Canada after her graduate work last October, her lament has been how much she missed her Dutch clunker – a bike that lived outside, rain or shine, always at the ready. Half-rusted, fixed-gear, and weighing a ton, she often had to get off and walk it just to cross a small footbridge. But it was as much a part of her as her shoes and clothing. In Canada, biking is mainly for recreation and sport….one must have the appropriate clothing, gloves, helmet, etc. This makes “routine” riding rather inconvenient; one has to “get ready” to ride. Of course, there are many hardy souls who commute on their bike (some, year-round), but I would hazard that they are in the minority…the car being the dominant form of daily transportation in North America.

Last week-end I took my daughter to Yeti Sports to buy her a bicycle pump so that she can get her mountain bike ready for Spring (she plans to commute to and from work). She mentioned to the sales person that she had just come home from Holland and how much she missed her bike. “Wanna see a Dutch bike?” he asked. Then he showed us this most gorgeous rig…an Electra Amsterdam (made in California) by the company that started the whole “cruiser” movement in the early ’90’s. I couldn’t resist – I bought two…one man’s and one woman’s frame. My wife and I plan to use them as much as possible for daily shopping and relaxed rides…no pressure, no hurry. Three speeds, plush leather seat, coaster brake, fenders, chain guard….everything you need to ride in your normal clothing. You can visit the Electra site here.

As for the daughter? Work hard and “save your money” as the Dutch guy says in those ING Direct bank commercials.

And before you go “Ugh…tourist!”….my other bikes are: a Gary Fisher Sugar 2 mountain bike, and a custom-made 1980 Leonard from one of the venerable names in bike-building – with Columbus SP tubing, all-titanium Cinelli parts, and Campagnolo Super Record drive train. So there…Naninaniboubou!