When I moved to Florida five years ago, I told Bob I wanted a bike to go to the grocery store. The grocery is two, maybe two and a half, miles down the road. In either direction as it happens. Just a little too far to walk with groceries, but it generally feels like a waste to take the car. I’ve talked about getting a bicycle, I’ve looked at bicycles and finally, I bought a bicycle.

We have a great little bIcycle shop down the road. I started this year off by looking at their website and going through the bikes from manufactures they carry. Some were just way more than I wanted. $8000 bike anyone? Not me. I didn’t want anything with power assist or twenty gears, I wanted a basic, cute bicycle for grocery runs.

I found one that I thought was adorable. It is called the Amsterdam. By a company named Electra. They designed it as a commuter bike and made it reminiscent of the bikes in Europe. They have a very basic line, a very top of the line line, and a ‘fashion’ line. You can tell which one I went with.

I fell in love with the look of this bicycle on the website so we stopped by the shop a few weeks ago to see if they carried it. They didn’t have it in stock so I looked at a few others. I came close to going with a different bike from the same company, but as soon as I looked at the picture if the pretty flowered bicycle, I just decided to get the one I really liked. After all. If I’m going to be riding it every week, I might as well be happy with it.

Bob and I went out to lunch today and we stopped by to pick up the bicycle while we were out. I saw it as soon as I walked in the store and it looks better in person than it did in the picture. My basket isn’t in yet. Yep, I got a wicker saddle bag basket for the back for groceries. Welcome back to 1900. The gentleman at the store told us he sold two more with mine sitting there. Apparently they used to stock one or two, but they didn’t move fast, so they stopped. But, with mine on the store floor for two days (I wasn’t riding home on the bike in the rain at dusk, I have a little more common sense than that) they sold two. I was happy to hear that. Support local businesses!

It has been two decades since I rode a bike. I use to ride my bike to and from the library for work in high school but have not ridden since. And the old saying really is true. I hopped on, wobbled a little and rode home with full confidence and ease. I love my bike!