Is This The Most Stylish Bike You've Ever Seen?
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 01. 8.08
As ever we are starting off the New Year with good intentions and how lucky that so many of them can be achieved with just one accessory: a bicycle. Yes, those regular resolutions to get out and about more, do more exercise and save money all rest on a search for the perfect two wheeler... which we think we've discovered in these beautifully handcrafted ABICI bikes from Italy.
Wonderfully chic in one colour, no brash graphics or logos, a Brooks saddle, an elegant traditional frame for men and women and a covering for the chain so we don't get our gorgeous eco-chic outfits covered in bike oil. We love the stylish Jorg + Olif bikes from Canada which have a similar look about them, so we're very happy to find ABICI keeping the traditional bike styles alive in old Europe. Available to buy online in the UK from Pedlars. Or contact ABICI to find your nearest stockist. :: ABICI
Don't be fooled by this bike and its astronomical AU$2150 price tag. This is what biking communities call a 'clunker'. It weighs a ton, is made of generic steel, and the crucial bits (the drive train and so on) are cheap and nasty. Oh, and while Brooks saddles are indeed high-end, they take a long, long time to break in. Don't expect comfort.
This blog post by a Melbourne bike mechanic says it best.
If you want a stylish bike, pick up a decent secondhand road-bike, ask your local bike store to sandblast it and paint it your favourite colour (AU$100), then add a new rear wheel with a singlespeed hub (~AU$150). I did something similar, and I think my bike's very pretty.