Chicbicyclist has one of the coolest bikes around. I really like the utilitarian, no non-sense appeal of these machines. The Breezer Uptown 8 is a great bike to bomb around on. If I hadn't breathed new life into my old Trek 830, I probably would buy something like those. I still ride my old English 3-speed with the club when the theme is social.

There's something to be said about the difference in conditions between Holland, Belgium, many parts of Germany and Denmark, to be truthful. Americans use bikes differently because we have to mostly. I think that drives the type of cycles we buy.

Here's a website that talks a little about the relative distances and speeds of cycling in different countries: http://www.bicyclinglife.com/Effecti...oadsWeHave.htm