The Friday Five: Bicycles

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It’s bicycle season!

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cyclist in Vienna, Austria, photo by Design Maze Tim

Yet another reason why I enjoying living in Waterloo is that it has quite a good trail system. I can get from my place in Waterloo to Victoria Park in Kitchener via the Iron Horse Trail (with only minimal road riding). Last year, I rode (slow but steady) from Cambridge to Paris, Ontario on a trail beside the Grand River. It was beautiful (and mostly flat).

While I have a decent mountain bike that functions well (although it is heavy), I have my eye on a few of the retro bikes that have been on the market for a few years now (also known as The Miss Piggy Bike in my family). Maybe once my bank account recovers from a few upcoming trips and my bedroom makeover, I may invest in one of these beauts.

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Real step-through bicycle, $1200, Martone Cycling (why oh why is this out of my budget?!)

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Kent 700c hybrid bike, $189, Walmart

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Huffy Arlington, $248, Walmart

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Schwinn signature series cruiser, $849, Canadian Tire

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Schwinn hybrid bike, $199, Target

Do you have a bicycle? What kind? For what purposes? Do tell!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Design: Andy Martin Studio + Thonet

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The collaboration between London-based designer Andy Martin and furniture manufacturer Thonet has resulted in a beautiful beech-framed bicycle. Yes – beech as in the wood. Isn’t it incredible how the form of the bicycle mimicks the classic Thonet bentwood chair? Simply gorgeous.

Andy Martin + Thonet = beech wood bicycle

Thonet’s classic steam-bent beech wood chair

Images courtesy of Andy Martin Studio.

The Miss Piggy Bike

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When I was a kid, my mom used to have a white bicycle like this one:

via Matchbook

My sister and I used to call it the Miss Piggy Bike.

The bike still comes up often enough in conversations. I think this is mostly because apparently my sister and I made her sell it at a garage sale (I think I was 7 years old but that’s not the point). Even though my mom would never use it now, she still talks about how much she loved it and that she regrets selling it all those years ago.

I spent Mother’s Day with my mom in Toronto and when we came across one of these bikes in a Queen West shop window we both smiled and we couldn’t leave it until we said a few words about the Miss Piggy Bike.

Aw. Memories.