My Penelope

You guys know this, but I’ve had my eye on the dutch style bicycles for a while now, and they usually have to be imported, so I was really hoping to go through a local shop or distributor rather than ship them from the company themselves (I can only imagine the disaster that would ensue if I had to put it together myself). I called & emailed shops downtown Toronto but was unsure of which bike was right for me. There were specific things I was looking for that I had my heart on and didn’t want to settle for anything else, you know? I really wanted the Nexus 7 Hub, and the skirt cover, disc brakes, and the ability to hook a vintage wooden milk crate on the back and the wicker basket on the front. Everything I’d found so far had one thing, but not the other. I was ALMOST ready to order the bike that I wanted with a custom teal paint job from Switzerland but I was just waiting until after we moved to commit. But one day when Tom and I were out shopping, I saw a dutch bike perched in the window of a clothing store.

Of course, like the big goof I am, I asked if the bike was for sale. It wasn’t, but she gave me a card for the bike distributor, and that’s how I found Spokes ‘N Slopes in Milton, and I cannot say enough about the darling couple (or their lovely dog Bernie) behind this local shop. When I phoned Matt I was very honest and admitted shopping around and that I was pretty set on what I wanted, but would prefer to go through a local shop. He laughed and said he’d prefer that too, and when I told him about my dream bike he said, “How tall are you? I might have just the bike.” And boy, did he ever. I knew the moment I saw her she was the one. She was exactly like the bike I’ve had pinned to the vision board by the bed for the last year. Like, exactly– and with every spec she just kept getting better. She had the hub I wanted, the brakes, the color, she was half the price of ordering online or in Toronto, everything was perfect. Matt even special ordered her a brass bell and wicker basket.

Basically, thank you Spokes ‘N Slopes for uniting me with my dream bike.

And, because it’s technically Caturday, I present you with a super adorable cat photo I shared on my Facebook last night.