New Bike II

No sooner did Ole's new bike arrive than mine broke. It had been slipping gears for awhile and one day as I was riding to work, there was an almighty "thunk" and it literally stopped working. Turns out Sturmey Archer internal hubs are NOT indestructible. At least the ones made after 2000, when they stopped their UK production.

After taking it around town for a couple assessments (it's incredibly inconvenient to have a broken bike when you have no other method of transport and bikes - broken or otherwise - aren't allowed on the Metro, and bike shops are several miles away), the verdict was that it was broken beyond repair. And to replace it - which would mean a new back wheel, amongst other parts - would be around the £200 mark.

So, I elected to get a "new" bike through the same company where we got Ole's. After a long wait, it finally arrived yesterday and looks and rides even better than I expected.

Stealth packaging. You'd never guess what's in this box!

 

Someone's not so sure... (Side note: We HAVE to attend to those slabs. It's a right algae farm back there.)

 

Ta-da! Welcome Gazelle. Note the ever-present tyre pump. Handy!

 

Not sure about the saddle, but it'll do for now. I'm thinking of upgrading to the Brooks one like Ole has. Top quality, top comfort.

 

First test ride.

 

Need to adjust the handlebars but otherwise, a dream.

 

Pleased as punch! Gazelle is a top Dutch brand - excellent quality bikes. They normally come with a price tag that's outside my budget, but as this is a refurb bike, it's suddenly affordable.

 

Rosie is more interested in scouting for kitties than going for a bike ride.

 

Everything is marked Gazelle. I like it!

 

 

 

 

When I first saw photos of the bike, I thought it was bronze, which amused me because that's the colour of Ole's bike. How cute to have matching bikes. But it's actually a beautiful plum colour that's two-toned - fenders are darker and frame is lighter. It has a slight sparkle - excellent!

 

The main reason why I chose this bike/company is because the spec is quite high. All their bikes come with drum/hub brakes (superior!), integrated rear racks (sturdy!), internal hub gears (mine's got 7 speeds, which is 4 more than the old one), skirt/coat guards, rear wheel immobiliser (aka lock), and dynamos, so you're never left in the dark.