I've been riding my almost brakeless, very rickety 1964 Raleigh Sport 3 Speed for the past five years and I was beginning to notice that I was choosing public transit over my bicycle far too frequently. I think the weight of the thing and its rather abrupt gears were really starting to wear on me. It was a gift from my friend Tom when we were living in Halifax in 2006. He ventured across the street to a garage sale and came back with a lovely vintage Raleigh for I think $25 bucks. It has served me well.
Growing up my family had a bright green Volkswagon Westfalia camper van that we drove east for a summer, until we ended up buying a cottage in NS. We called it the "Green Bean" because my dad had some body work done on it before the big trip and then had it painted a beautiful bright Kelly Green. I have been looking at upgrading my bicycle situation for the past year with the ambition of riding a little more often. This bike, the very same colour as the 'ol "Green Bean", jumped out at me the other day as I walked trough the Annex. It was a beautiful day and I was pressed for time and contemplated taking the subway home. If only I had my bike. She is a Linus Dutchi 3 Speed designed in Venice, California, with lovely classic character and flare. I couldn't stop thinking about this beauty so I went back yesterday aft and took her for a spin. She is smooth and shifts effortlessly and has a whole bunch of options for attachments and baskets. I was sold. A little bit of an investment now will no doubt pay off with huge joy over the summer months.
