Love Bike!

We stopped by DBC City Bikes (formerly the Dutch Bicycle Company) in Somerville, Mass. to see if they had some bike parts we were after. In the showroom, among many other things we saw this:

Yes, you guessed it: "Love Bike"! Clearly I had to photograph and share such a masterpiece on this magical day created for us by the greeting card industry.

This is the entire bike in its glory.

I imagine the handles next to the seats (love seats?) are for steering. The lovers are meant to share a bell. Magnificent! The Love Bike is for sale, but Dan (owner of DBC City Bikes) cautions that one should view it "as a sculpture," because as a bicycle it is not very efficient. Efficiet schmefficient! Just imagining this beauty rolling along Mass. Ave., taking the lane and being honked at by bewildered drivers, brings a smile to my face.

We saw more fun things at DBC City Bikes, but they can't possibly follow in the footsteps of the Love Bike, so I will report on them later.

Comments

  1. Please, ride that bike with Co-Hab down Mass Ave--and post photos of it!

    Happy Valentine's Day to you and him.

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  2. I'm afraid pink isn't my colour : )

    We are not into Valentine's Day to tell the truth, and are still trying to think of something anti-establishment to do tomorrow. Taxes? Housecleaning? Perhaps bathe the cats and trim their nails...

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  3. Awesome! I would love to ride in that for a while. Just for the fun and weird looks.

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  4. It's definitely a "sociable tandem!" A short test ride, even on a pink bike, has GOT to beat trimming cat nails...

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  5. ...I think that I would prefer a good mauling by my cats than have to ride on any pink bicycle. Perhaps it could be painted green? :)

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  6. a green shamrock bicycle for St. Patrick's Day? : )

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  7. The heart-shaped bar in the middle actually steers, but the small front wheel dips to the side as soon as both riders let go of the heart. Perhaps it's meant to be symbolic?

    I thought the two levers on the side were eject the partner switches, but Dan pointed out that these are the brakes.

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  8. It looks as stable as any relationship I've known...

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  9. MDI - Ah I see. This way either person can put the brakes on the relationship.

    scootia - Good point!

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  10. Velouria- Yes, exactly! It would be a vast improvement over it's current theme.

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  11. I know you hate pink. But it would still be a lot of fun to see you (or anyone, for that matter) block Mass Ave or Harvard Square with that thing. I mean, if John Wayne could show up at the Harvard Square Theatre in a tank, why can't someone park themselves and the love-mobile there? (See http://www.whosdatedwho.com/celebrity/trivia/john-wayne.htm about John Wayne.)

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  12. Oh dear, I think I've done myself a mischief laughing too hard! Forget horse and carriage rides for tourists, the Love Bike is the way to go. Ingenious and appalling... can't help but admire it.

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  13. I thought those were love handles next to the love seats.

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  14. Fascinating... love to see these creative bikes.

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  15. pink isnt my color either, but id love to ride this puppy up n down SF he hee :D

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  16. m e l i g r o s a -- yeah, especially down those famous hilly streets. Can you imagine the speed it would pick up? :)

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  17. Steve, by creating an oxymoron you, oddly enough, got it half right.

    Tandem does not mean "for two," it means "one behind the other." This type of bike is called a "Sociable," which distinguishes it FROM a tandem.

    They were quite popular before the advent of the safety bike, when the women decided they could just have their own wheel, thank you very much.

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