Hip Grandma

Finally, I have a bike.  It's what's known as an Omafeits, or granny bike.  Just a basic three speed like everyone here had in the 50s, although a little more sturdy.  And mine happens to be asparagus green with pink tulips painted on it, which means the maker describes it at a "Hippe Omafeits," or hip granny bike.  It's actually rather hideous, but it was very difficult to find a bike my size.  And it will actually be good to have a distinctive looking bike, even if I don't particularly love how it looks.

My new bike, with Peter's behind it.

After several attempts, I bought my bike at BVD tweeweilers.  Actually, both Peter and I did.  I made several visits to learn about new and used bikes as well as child seats and not only were they knowledgeable, but every person I spoke to was incredibly nice and helpful.  At one point I brought M in and they advised me that my original choice of bike seat, the Bobike, was actually too small and that he would be better in a Yepp, which we can easily switch between our bikes.  My main concern was that I wanted to be able to touch the ground from the seat.  They were happy to MacGiver the bike seat to its lowest possible position, sometimes changing out a seat, but cautioned me to move it up slightly when I'm move comfortable to avoid stress on my knees.  I finally located a small framed bike at their location a few neighborhoods away.

A bakfiets:
the Amsterdam equivalent of the mini van

Riding with a 40 pound kid behind me has been a bit more difficult to get used to than I thought.  It's a lot like learning how to ride a bike for the first time:  I'm wobbly, super wobbly when I try to make a turn, and my wobbliness improves a whole lot when my confidence is up.  I also have someone behind me telling me I'm doing a good job, although it's not my dad but my son.  Every day M and I have some bicycle practice.  Truth be told I was never the most confident cyclist and preferred to stick to roads without traffic and bike trails.  So, I am also practicing alone to get used to cycling with traffic, but with Mairtin I have yet to move on from the sidewalk on my block.  Every day I'm a little better.

The Nihola family bike,
a well-styled take on the traditional bakfiets,
but is it worth the price?

However, I wonder if I'll ever feel comfortable to do the things I want to do, like ride to the zoo or Amsterdam Bos.  My only other choice is a bakfeits, kind of the minivan of the bicycle options.  Having only one kid this seems like overkill, as they are slow, hard to park and way more expensive than a regular bike.  I've noticed a new type of bakfeits in my neighborhood; a super sleek, compact model, the Nihola.  I initially dismissed this option because it costs what we sold our Corolla for last Spring (but wait, maybe that's a sign?).  I have also discussed bike options with some of the moms from M's school and I understand bakfeits have their own riding challenges.  But, I'm going to test ride the Nihola this week.

We will be seeing some other hip grandmas soon.  This weekend we are visiting Peter's family and next week my parents arrive for a visit.