ShopGirl | Bicycle Belle

I'm starting a new series.  I will feature shops that I love.  Then you pretend you are interested.  Simple enough.  Today I'm taking you to Bicycle Belle in Somerville.  How do I put this?  It's amazing -particularly amazing if you are dying to own a bakfiets and/or want to do so in the Netherlands.  I've been plotting my bakfiets purchase for several months now.  So far it has involved combing craigslist, buying a craigslist app to alert me of any posting of a cargo bike, joining the local bicycle listserve and lastly trying to get a part-time job to raise funds.  

When I stopped into this store today I had momentarily forgotten that I was coveting such a bicycle.  Innocently enough, I wanted to highlight this great little local business.  You see, after several cargo-bike-doors closed on me- mainly the job that I failed to secure I settled on buying a perfectly sensible bike trailer.  A bike trailer instead of a cargo bike.  A small investment instead of a large (medium-ish) one.  

So the owner and I were chatting and I was telling her about my cargo bike woes and she asked if I wanted to test drive a bakfiets.  And I said YES.  And she didn't even ask me to wear a bike helmet.  YES.  I sailed around the block, happy as can be.  

Once you learn to ride a bike, you never ever forget.  Even if it has a big thing in the front.  

Thanks, Carice!