Fashion over function is my moto when it comes to bikes, but that hasn’t always worked out so well for me. Back when I was engaged, my now hubby and I took a trip to Martha’s Vineyard with a group of friends. We decided to rent bikes to ride to Chappaquiddick, and naturally, I had to have their cute display – a bright red, fixed gear beach cruiser with a ribbon-laced wicker basket. Isn’t that what every girl dreams of gliding around in?? But the ride was a rough one – off-roading through gravel, dirt, and sand. The guy warned me that my beautiful bike was heavy and hard to ride (so my friends said after the fact), I can’t remember if I didn’t know or just didn’t care. My mind was made up, though. It was only 30 minutes into the ride before I ran out of steam (and I was in great shape at the time). The rest of the group rode on, so I couldn’t turn around. Luckily, I picked a sweet guy to spend the rest of my life with! He took one look at me and handed over his bike. He then rode the next two hours standing up (the only way to get through sand), sweating his butt off while I coasted along with ease. Obviously, I felt bad, but it was so nice to know that I had chosen the right guy!
Moral of the story – if you’re like me and insist on only riding cute bikes, make sure it’s a Solé. Two friends at USC founded the company just a few years ago when they were having trouble with their fixed gear bikes. As they say, if you want something done right, do it yourself, so they built their own. The bikes are made for people who love the outdoors – just not all of the gear that come with it (REI might as well be the name of a military supply store for all I know). They’re also well priced, I will never understand why anyone would spend the price of a Birkin on a bike?? Unless you love off-roading, these give you everything you need – a smooth ride, four height options, and 12 standout color combos to pick from. These have the option of switching to a one gear bike if you don’t enjoy fixed gear (with aka fixies, wheels only rotate when you peddle, if you stop, the bike stops). Of course, mine has to be the Fiancé (it’s pink, too!). Which is yours? At Solé for $379 each.