Meet Betsy & Fred
artwork originally from bobbin bicycles
Meet Betsy & Fred, our bicycles.
Betsy is vintage-esque…she is a modern well made Dutch Oma cycle from Bobbin in grass green, who thinks she’s a lady from yesteryear. She is graceful and upright when moving but…how do I say this in a nice way–she’s a wide load! She is heavy and cumbersome when trying to navigate through doors, stairs etc. which is a teensy problem but I love her and wouldn’t trade her. She knows her role and will carry the world if you let her. From her basket to her pannier and the platform on the back she rocks up to the picnic carrying the wine, the food the books the sports equipment etc…It’s pretty easy going though because she has nice gears and brakes and a bell and dymo lights (which run off the friction of your tires). On the other hand Fred is a bloody liability, but so goodlooking.
Fred is the old school jock–good looking so he gets away with a lot. He is a bit of a rouge, as when he doesn’t feel like going anymore, he just pops his chain off, leaving David on a moving deathtrap with no ability to cycle or brake as it’s all controlled by the pedals. He is also a bit of princess, as he refuses to carry anything like panniers, baskets etc. You want to be mad at him but then you see his gorgeous red rims, and his two tone seat complete with wire spring coils and he is instantly forgiven. Unlike Betsy’s boutique beginnings, Fred was rescued from a used bicycle shop in Camden, piled beneath hordes of ugly mountain bikes.
It sounds silly but I absolutely love the handsome pair…they make every outing an adventure. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that they are conversation starters–suddenly tight lipped Londoners speak when Betsy & Fred come out to play!
Besty is certainly a cousin of my bike (rather uninventively named Glorie since that’s what it says on her side!) Will be posting pics of her soon for comparison 😉
Fabulous, I would like to see her. I painstakingly scraped off all the stickers (I don’t know if your bike is the newer or older version, but mine came with some real seventies looking stickers, browns/maroon) because I had a grand vision for custom decals..which of course I never got around to making. I bought some white contact paper and was going to create these little graphic trees down the main bar and then have squirrels and acorns around other areas. It was going to be cool, despite its naff description. BUT thankfully, Bobbin came to my rescue and have introduced some new stickers with silver that say bobbin glorie in silver script which is way cuter and because I went through the process of removal and sticking them on myself, I feel like its a mini custom job…sorta.
Opps early morning typing… I meant Betsy obviously! (Though Besty is quite cute too!)