Netted Dress Guards

I love the look of netted dress guards, so while I am in the EU, I decided to stock up. Here are some lovely options from reliable online sellers:

[ Kleiderschutz; fits 26 und 28" tires; 5.95 €; image from fahrradsaturn.com]

The model above is the one I bought for myself. I think I will install it on my Pashley Princess instead of the one it comes with standard-issue. The prices are not typos; these dress guards really are available for under 10 Euros! Many of the sellers allow payment via paypal and some will ship to North America.

[ Kleiderschutz; fits 26 und 28" tires; 4.99 €; image from fahrrad-bike-shop.de]

One nice thing about the netted dressguards, is that they go with bicycles of any colour and they break up the space in an interesting way. I would love to find a truly gorgeous filigree-style set of dress guards, with a paisley or fleur de lis pattern, but have not seen one so far.

[ Kleiderschutz; fits 26" and 28" tires; 9.95 €; image from radhaus.de]

To give you an idea what a netted dress guard looks like on a bicycle, I include an image of the stunning Skeppshult "Ladies Nature" in Vanilla:

[Skeppshult bicycle, Sweden ; image from skeppshultbikes.com]

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Shady Lady: On the Necessity of Sunglasses

This might sound obvious to experienced cyclists, but I've discovered that good sunglasses are a must, especially when riding through the countryside. Not only will sunglasses protect the eyes from harmful rays and the delicate skin under the eyes from wrinkles, but they also shield from the debris and insects that hurtle toward me at top speed.

Yes, insects! Assuming that your bicycle has no windshield, be prepared for your face to be hit by flies, bees, butterflies, and God knows what else. If you keep your mouth open, they will fly into your mouth. And if you don't wear sunglasses, they will fly right into your eyes or get trapped in your eyelashes. Based on personal experience, I can promise you that this is not pleasant.

To be useful as a shield, I find that the best sunglasses are those that cover as much of my face as possible. Conveniently, the "Jackie O." style is popular right now and every shop seems to carry them in many variations. I opt for cheaper sunglasses, because I have a knack for losing or destroying mine. The darlings pictured here lasted two weeks before I crushed them in my handbag -- which reminds me that I must buy another pair if I plan to cycle again over the weekend.

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Danube Cycle Path: Part II

More photos riding along the Danube Cycle Path. Grass, trees, attractive wooden huts, and the Danube for miles and miles.



The terrain is mildly hilly and the 7-speed KTM hybrid I am renting feels appropriate here. Interestingly, this bike has both handbrakes and a coaster brake. Not sure how this can be, but I like the set-up.


Small outdoor cafes are situated along the path at frequent intervals, giving cyclists the possibility to stop for a drink, snack, or a meal.


There are also Gasthaus-style bed and breakfast places advertised as being "bike friendly" for those touring long distance.



This is now my third time riding on the Donauradweg, and I absolutely love it. I have gone about 11miles North each time and back, and it feels great. But what I really want to try some day is long-distance touring.

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Danube Cycle Path: Part I

One wonderful aspect of being in Vienna is the Donauradweg! The Danube Cycle Path runs through Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, and the Ukraine along the Danube river. It begins in the Black Forest and ends at the Black Sea, covering a total of almost 3,000 km.


In and around Vienna, the trail has a similar anatomy to the Charles River path in Boston. However, it continues in both directions, becoming more rural and interesting the further out one ventures.


There are several bike shops situated directly on the path that rent bicycles by the hour and by the day. The bikes can be taken along the trail straight from the shop without ever coming in contact with street traffic.


This is the one I've been riding: an Austrian brand, KTM. It's okay for exploring along the river, but for my own bike I'd want something a bit more classic and without the suspension fork.

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Citibike Wien

Like many cities in the EU, Vienna has recently adapted an active city-wide bicycle rental programme. The concept is similar to Zipcar in the US: There are many bicycle parking stations throughout the city, and the user simply takes a bicycle whenever it is needed and then returns it to any of the other stations when they are through with it.

With their baskets and hard-core dress guards, the citibikes are rather charming, if heavy on the advertisements.

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Bicycles in Vienna: Part III

More Vienna bicycles. All the bikes in this and the previous post were photographed within a 5-minute walk from my house.


Another old KTM model in a nice sage green. My favourite colour!


Venice Comfort Bikes, made for Intersport, Austria. Basic urban-style bicycles similar to the KTM and Hercules models.


Rabeneick, Germany


And finally, I've spotted a Batavus! Here it is, parked in the city center, looking new and clean in sharp contrast to most other bikes around it. The owner must love it. These really are beautiful bicycles.

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Bicycles in Vienna: Part II

Following up on this earlier post, these are the types of bicycles one is likely to see in Vienna. Notice how the fenders, lights and racks contribute to the look.

In no particular order:

Hercules seems to be one of the two most popular Austrian manufacturers (along with KTM). This is one of the newer models.


A pink and white "Dusika". Not sure whether this is the name of the manufacturer or the model, but I believe it is of Austrian origin.


Puch "Elegance" model; an Austrian manufacturer that I do not think is in business any longer.


Epple (Germany). An older model.

Ghost (Germany); specialises in mountain bikes.


Drive, I believe also German. These are very common here, but I cannot find much information about the brand.


A beautiful older model KTM (Austria). This is probably the most popular domestic manufacturer.


And a modern KTM: like most of the newer bikes here, it is a hybrid model adapted for urban cycling.

Vienna can be hilly, especially on the outskirts, and so you are unlikely to find single speeds here; 7 gears seems to be the norm. Sprung seats are a lot more common than in the US. Notice also that many bikes have suspension under the seat and on the front wheel.

Partially enclosed chains are common, but fully enclosed ones are uncommon; I am not sure why. Dress-guards for 28" and 26" wheels are readily available in bike shops.

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