“Elisabetta”

Meet Elisabetta.  By now you should know that I’m not called @morebikes for nothing …

Scott (The Culprit's) Jorg & Olif "Opa" dutch bike (Flickr)

Several years ago, I became smitten with the idea of a beautiful “city bike” after seeing several cycling videos about Amsterdam, and this beautiful photo of Scott’s Jorg & Olif “Opa”.  I argued with myself over the practicality: would a 3-speed or 8-speed upright city bike, no matter how stunning to look at, really be a practical bike for me to own?  And I won’t even get into arguments over curbing excess, needless consumption, etc.  I certainly didn’t need another bike.  But – good grief – they are so beautiful, I just couldn’t help lusting after one … admittedly with some misguided mid-life-crisis fantasies of becoming a Beautiful Godzilla:

The Beautiful Godzilla is a particular kind of urban female cyclist who rides as though the rest of the world were created simply to yield to her … She also rides an old three-speed or perhaps a 10-speed or Dutch city bike, carries her handbag on the edge of her handlebars and if she has a basket it usually contains a small dog or perhaps a baguette… Her approach to cycling in a densely populated city is a combination of self-entitlement and Mr Magoo-type dumb luck…. Like any self-entitled person, she can’t imagine a car would possibly hit her, even if she’s riding against traffic and it’s coming right at her. Actually, you sort of find yourself disappointed when it doesn’t. And just like Mr Magoo would wander into a construction site and a girder would materialise right as he was about to walk off the scaffolding, the Beautiful Godzilla blithely rides through red lights and busy intersections, emerging on the other side unscathed and just as photogenic as she was when she entered it.

Why other cyclists don’t like them: They should be dead but aren’t.

~ BikeSnob NYC, The Bike Snob’s Guide to Cycling Tribes

OK, maybe not quite.  Lol.  But still, the yearning to have a pretty, step-through, latte-and-lunchdate Amsterdam-y Eurobike never faded – and thus, when my bike shop guy, Charles, showed me the 2011 Globe Live 3 Mixte … well, you can guess what happened.  (And I would like to take this opportunity to thank my husband and “sponsor”, Mark, for making this possible! 😉 )

She actually arrived literally the day before we left for Italy, so the first real test rides didn’t take place until our return.  She is not only beautiful to behold, but is quite a dream ride, in that upright, city-cruising-in-a-skirt kind of way.  Lighter and quicker than I expected.  And did I mention – beautiful to look at?  I have ridden her on a couple of 20-mile trips to and around town, and even with only 8 speeds, she handled every incline with ease.  The front integrated rack will carry essentials and more with no difficulty – a loaded messenger bag, a bag of groceries, or even a Godzilla-appropriate designer handbag with miniature dog and baguette.  😉  Or my bag full of camera stuff.

A couple of the details that make her extra special:

• Shimano Alfine 8-speed internal hub
• belt drive (!) … (So far, I am loving it; amazingly smooth and quiet)
• front and rear dual piston hydraulic disc brakes
• very nifty two-leg foldable kickstand

As you can tell, I am very infatuated.  Sometimes you just have to ride like a Beautiful Godzilla (even if you are just pretending).  😉  Call me if you want to meet up for a latte.

super-smooth belt drive

hassle-free internal hub, disc brakes

city bike in the city (Chattanooga) ...

... and just around town