8 Designer Bicycles Two-Wheeling Fashionistas Will Want to be Caught Dead On (Slideshow)

Photo credit: Cynthia Rowley

Maybe it's a case of Fairy Godmother Syndrome gone amuck, but the task of elevating the humble bicycle from carbon-neutral mode of transport to chic status symbol is all the rage these days, with a slew of two-wheeled offerings trundling from the runway to the bikeway.

But when you start tossing around names like Fendi, Gucci, and Chanel, you bet your bottom dollar you'll need pockets deeper than the Marianas trench—most of these rides come at an über-hefty premium. Impractical? Yes. A bastardization of lo-fi mobility? Perhaps. Fabulous eye candy? Without a doubt. In the following slideshow, we present eight of the hautest rides in town, including one that clocks in at a staggering $17,000.