two wheels

i've been thinking a lot about bikes lately - mainly because the days are long and beautiful and the subways are crowded and unpleasant. i'd like to get a bike with a nice basket for trips to the market and around the neighborhood...and maybe when i'm feeling brave, i'll take her into the city to work, too.

i'm torn between a couple of different avenues i could go down. i could go the functional-cheap-stable bike route or i could go the thrift-store-doesn't matter if it gets stolen route. or i could go the so-beautiful-i'll-lug-it-down-three-flights-of-brownstone-stairs-just-to-get-the-chance-to-ride-it-for-15-minutes-and-then-back-up-so-a-drop-of-rain-never-touches-it.

yea. i think i'm opting for number 3.

first choice: the electra amsterdam, in clean, simple white. how perfect is this bike? comes with a light, a bell, a skirt guard, and a generator to keep the light working. SIGH.

but lets not be picky. it also comes in green:

and black...

not to mention red and blue.

i'm also a big fan of the bianchi milano, which i first spied in san francisco:

how great is that teal and red? and who can resist a speedy italian bicycletta?

and last but not least, let's not forget a way to store this baby. not a lot of room in this tiny apartment, so let me recommend this Leonardo Single Bike Storage Hook:

light, elegant, unobtrusive. looks ok even without the bike!