Have I got a bike for you!

Me and my lovely new ride

For over two years now I have been happily riding throughout Vancouver on an upright, step-through bicycle, also known as a city bike, or a Dutch-style bike. Prior to this, I could be found on a heavy mountain bike, complete with twenty-one speeds, shocks and extremely straight handle bars. It was a good bike, and got the job done, but after spending years hunched forward and putting a lot of strain on my wrists, shoulders and back, riding my bike was becoming less and less enjoyable. So when I saw images of people riding upright on beautifully sleek bicycles on photo blogs like Vancouver Cycle Chic and the other Cycle Chic blogs, making the switch was a no brainer.

Living in a city where at least three-quarters of my fellow riders are on road bikes, hybrid commuters and the occasional mountain bike, when I'm out on my city bike I tend to stand out, even more so when I'm on a family ride, riding alongside my husband and daughter on their upright bikes. However, instead of feeling like an outsider, I feel more like I'm holding onto this big secret that has yet to be revealed to most people. That secret? Riding an upright bike is a pretty spectacular experience.

It happens almost every day I'm out riding that someone, a friend or complete stranger, will compliment me on my bike, most notably that on its beauty. This has only increased now that I'm the happy owner of a shiny new, red Papillionaire Sommer. I do enjoy the compliments, but I can't help wondering why more people don't choose to ride upright bicycles. With all the adulation, one would think that there would be an increase in the number of people out there on city bikes. Still, I'm one of the few people I know who chooses to ride upright. Perhaps it's just a lack of education of what it is upright bikes have to offer. So here it is, I'm going to share with you the joy of riding a city bike, and why it just may be the bike for you!

Riding upright I can see everything around
me, and people see me, too!

There really are many advantages to riding this classic style of bike, aside from being told that you look "like a photo" as you bike along (yes, this has happened to me). Most notably, for me, was the reduced strain I was placing on my body. As I mentioned, riding hunched on my mountain bike was doing a number on my back, shoulders and wrists due simply to my weight being heavily dispersed forward. Almost as soon as I switched to an upright, I noticed how my back and wrist pain nearly disappeared, and I could ride much longer distances and all that would really hurt was my bottom after spending hours in the saddle. Instead of riding my bike being a chore, I love heading out for a day of riding, whether for errands or just enjoy riding throughout my city. 

In addition to less bodily strain, I feel incredibly safe riding around on a city bike. Because the nature of the bike is to sit upright, I can see everything around me easily without having to crane my neck around to check blind spots for passing bikes and cars, or checking for oncoming traffic at intersections. And while I can see more clearly, sitting so straight means drivers see me more clearly as well. Because I'm not leaned forward, I'm not hidden by parked cars as I come to a traffic circle or intersection, and it's hugely comforting to know I'm that much more visible to those I share the road with. Along with being more visible, it's a natural tendency on an upright bike to ride at a slightly slower pace. Due in part to my body position, the materials used to make city bikes and that most max out around 7 speeds, it is unlikely that I'll be racing from point A to point B at high speeds. This means I have time to see the traffic around me and react quickly to the erratic and unpredictable behaviour from drivers, fellow cyclists and pedestrians.

Outside of all the practical reasons to choose a city bike, there's one really important reason why I choose to ride an upright bicycle. I ride the bike I do because when I'm out on a ride, I want to fully experience the world around me. I want to see everything I can, which isn't easy with a more leaned forward position on a bike. Just yesterday, I took an unexpected morning ride with my husband along the seawall, and the sights I was privy to were such a great part of my morning. From the tug boat pulling a barge into False Creek for a pick up (not an every day occurrence), to the beautiful skyline through the foggy clouds, and the still water in the Marinas, I was completely in awe of the beauty unfolding before me. I also had my day brightened by many complete strangers smiling at me as I passed, making eye contact and saying good morning as they went about their days. Riding my upright bike I feel so connected to the people and the places I pass, and I would be remiss to not have those moments because I was hunched over on a bike focused only on the road ahead of me.

When all's said and done, the best bike for you is one that makes you happy and eager to get back on it for a ride. What I hope, though, is that this post gives you a better understanding of why city bikes aren't just for show, and could quite possibly be the bike you've been searching for all along. While the simple bicycle has evolved so much over time to meet the needs of the racer or the mountain biker, there is something to be said for the early 20th century design. One meant for transportation, not just for recreation, and designed for civilized travel, dressed in even your Sunday best. I am personally very happy to see a resurgence of the city bike, and invite you to join me as I travel through my city and others at a leisurely pace, enjoying every aspect of my surroundings and the people I meet along the way!

The hunt for the perfect bike - Kid's edition

After years of fixing up free bikes for my daughter, we are finally spending money on a brand new bike for her. Her current bike still works, and is the right size for her, but as out little girl becomes a more seasoned rider, she's starting to develop preferences, and knows what will be the most comfortable ride for her. So you would think that finding her a great new bike would be easy. Think again! 

There have been some specific requests from our daughter for her new bike. She wants gears, she doesn't want to lean forward but rather be more upright like mom and dad, and most of all, she wants her bike to be different and unique. The first request is pretty easy. Most kids' bikes, specifically in the 20" wheel variety, come with gear shifters. The problem is that most also come with suspension forks, a detail common in mountain bikes. This is an issue for two reasons. First, majority of the riding my daughter does is on paved pathways and city streets, so there's no need for suspension. Second, suspension usually means added weight. With her struggling to lift her current bike, a heavier bike would not be ideal, and even with the gears would make it harder for her on the occasions when she has to climb a hill. That just won't do at all.

Her second request, to be more upright, is also proving to be difficult when combining it with the request for gears. There are some fabulous upright choices out there, including the sleek Lil' Dutchi from Linus, the mini version of her dad's bike, but they all seem to be single speeds, with coaster brakes. I tend to think this style of bike would be the best for her, and not just because I have grown to really appreciate he beauty and simplicity of my own upright over the past year and a half. Think about it. Most children's first bike is a tricycle, a completely upright bike favoured because it is east to steer and pedal. They then switch to a run bike, again, sitting upright. My daughter is a seasoned rider, however she is the definition of a citizen cyclists, someone who uses a bike as a tool to get from point A to point B. So a utilitarian upright bike makes the most sense for her planned use.

Her final request is for her bike to be unlike anyone else's. We've done quite well so far with used bikes that are older, and needed a bit of rebuilding to make them perfect for her. Now that we're looking at new bikes, We are finding it quite difficult to find one that isn't similar or exactly the same as ones her friends have, or isn't pasted with licensed images. Many of the independent bike shops have very limited selection in younger kids bikes, and with the added pressure to get a bike that our son will want to ride when they've both grown up a bit, the standard pink bike just isn't going to cut it.

Well, after a couple weeks of searching, I am happy to say that we managed to get Coralie a bike that checks two of the three boxes. In order to get her an upright bike that was unique from any others she's seen, we had to forego the gears, with the promise that her next bike will likely have gears as she will almost be in adult sizes, or at the very least, a teenage size. With the help of our friends Chris and Nellija at Whoa! Nellie Bikes, Coralie is now the VERY proud owner of a shiny red Lil' Dutchi. She rode it right out of the shop and home with the biggest smile on her face, happy to know she got just what she was looking for, and we're happy to know we'll have many happy days of riding ahead!

One happy Junior Citizen Cyclist