Last year I bought myself a bike; a Navaro from REI. It was a decent bike except for a couple of things. Since I don’t wear pants, my skirts were forever getting caught. It was pale blue (at least it didn’t have flowers like most ladies bikes on the market), and the sitting position was more mountain bike than cruiser. So I returned it because I had a vision of the perfect bike and that just wasn’t it.

When I returned to Denmark in February, I kept seeing all the girls in dresses and long coats riding their bikes (in winter conditions no less). Sitting upright with pretty bikes I was very, very envious and really debated buying a bike there to just bring back. But time was limited and so I didn’t.

But then I heard about the Electra Amsterdam bike and when I saw it in person I was instantly smitten. It’s exactly what the name implies – a steel European bike with a skirt guard, light, leather seat and perfect seating position. It’s beautiful and riding it is a dream.

True, it only has 3 speeds so it’s best suited to rolly areas instead of very hilly ones but in every other way, it’s a wonderful, comfortable ride (no skirt getting caught!). The only warning I shall give on this bike is that one can start to think they’re in Europe whilst riding it. Actually, that’s not really a problem, is it?

BUY AT: Electra