I've already read as much as I could find. I've scared up some money. I really want this bicycle.

My favorite bicycle to ride is still my Trek 4300. Fat tires were what made me love bicycles again, after the disastrous 10 speed of my youth. I tried a Trek Belleville. I just don't like the 700c wheels. I have a late 70s Raleigh Sport that I do like, but it is still in project form. Same for my 83 Raleigh mixte frame. I tried an Electra Townie. It was a nice bike to ride but the coaster brake was a real deal breaker for me. And the bicycle itself was sort of cheap feeling.

I'm not necessarily trying to jump on the "Dutch" bandwagon. But I do want: big tires -- Fat Franks, specifically. A loop frame. IGH 7 or 8 speed for my eventual return to Seattle. Lugs just because I like them. I don't need to carry any children, but I do shop and run errands and meet friends and commute (an entire mile).

I looked at Velorbis, Pashley, Gazelle, Breezer and Workcycles. By "looked at" I mean online. I just don't live anywhere near any dealers.

It's a spendy bicycle, but I can afford it. I very rarely drive and have a paid for car and in-house mechanic. And it should last me a very long time.

Anyone with experience with these bicycles? Any major drawbacks? I've found nothing but praise so far.

Its a good bike and I haven't heard anything negative about it.

In fact, its a new category of bike, the balloon racer. For $2,000, its the most beautiful bicycle I've ever seen, hands down.

Velouria of Lovely Bicycle fame has a review of it on her blog.

Sorry, I don't have any experience with the Retrovelo Paula, but it's definitely a great looking bike. I just wanted to offer another bike to consider. Check out ANT Bicycles, and specifically the Boston Roadster. Their website makes me drool.

Boston Roadster has 700c wheels. I've tried them and I hate them. I do like ANT bicycles, but I really want those Fat Franks.

ANT could build you a custom bike in the style of the Retrovelo... might be cheaper and you would get to decide what features you need/want in the final build.

Hey, an $850 bike isn't a $1800 bike, but: Electra Townie Balloon 8i. Exactly the same Shimano IGH, hub brakes and Schwalbe Fat Franks.

But it's your money and life is short. Make yourself happy.

If you're running errands, meeting friends and shopping on your new Retrovelo Paula, you'll probably want a couple of these.

I had considered that, but their bikes are running in the $2800 and up range. Not cheaper. It would be fun to do the frame building class one day and build exactly my bicycle.

The Paula is missing a couple of things: a rear wheel lock and a fully enclosed chain case. The chain case is really no big deal and I do like the chain guard that it has. The rear wheel lock I can add. I live in a low theft area, but I use all the bicycle locking methods I can. I do actually depend on the bike to get around. I *have* a car but I absolutely hate driving and really consider the quality of my life to be inversely proportional to the amount of time spent in a car.

I'm torn as to color. There is a pink one available. I like pink and it has the advantage of pink bikes not getting stolen as much. But I also like orange. And brown.

I tried a Townie. I did not like it. My brother will NOT shut up about his Electras so I had to try one. Not a terrible bicycle, but I really hate that crank-forward geometry. Absolutely sucked for trying to get out of the saddle.

Clever Cycles has it... they will ship a Retrovelo but you will have to order over the phone.

I have a Gary Fisher Klunker so I remade it in the Retrovelo style - cruiser bars and Fat Frank tires. Its fun to ride now!

My Dutch Bike also has them and will ship.

I'll bet that Klunker is fun. WWP! [My guess is that you have posted them somewhere.]

For those of you, like me, who might require a link to get the specs on the bike:

https://www.retrovelo.de/paula78speed.html

Looks pretty cool to me. Since you like it so much why not get it? Nothing wrong with wearing a bike out with enthusiasm.

I'm gonna. Had to move some money first, waiting for it to clear. Will order sometime in the next few days.

It's a spendy bicycle, and looks/sounds worth it. I got really burned by a bike shop that sold me a defective bike and the closed up shop the next day. I got a replacement bike, but it took a month of hassle and I'll never give Trek another dime because of it.

Gary Fisher produced them as a limited series in a 1996 run in homage to the Schwinn Excelsior. It sucks as an MTB but its cool as a cafe bike.

Once I swapped the bars, it was perfect!

What's wrong with 700c wheels? Schwalbe also make Fat Franks in 700c.

I do not like them. I just do not feel comfortable with big wheels. I did not say there was anything WRONG with them. I said that I do not like them.

I have all the standard wheel sizes and I confess I like fat slicks more when I ride.

...and she's ordered. Should ship this week. Orange. Photo to come soon.

The orange one will look sweet! Definitely post pics when you get it. On the manufacturer's page, I really like the picture of the fashionable working mom with her baby up front. Her bike is nicely set up!

My first choice was pink and they had one, but a 3-speed (Klara). Stock on hand was discounted, and orange rules, too, so orange it is. It's easier when a bicycle is only available in one or two colors!

My only child is almost 18, so I won't be carrying him in a Bo-bike.

Read something about it on Lovely Bicycle, and I looks like a nice bike for shorter trips. I thought I heard that Electra had some quality issues.

I don't ride fast and I don't ride ridiculous distances. But I do ride every day, and to any place I can get on a bicycle. I'm totally taking it on the 14 mile group ride I do every week. And I've done 60+ miles on a mountain bike. I really don't think you need road bikes with skinny tires for long distances. I hate every minute that I ever spend on one, so they really don't work for ANY trips for me.

It will be my primary bicycle, and the bicycle is my primary mode of transportation. I was leaning toward Pashley, which is less expensive. But I keep going back to my cushy-tired mountain bike. The Retrovelo had almost everything I was looking for. It lacks a rear-wheel lock and skirt guard. If the Abus fits, they (My Dutch Bike in SF) will install it for me. And I know how to crochet, so I can take care of the skirt guard myself.

It's a lot of money, but DH's custom built bikes cost much more. It's an investment.

The only downside is the recent Retrovelos are no longer made in Leipzig; they're made in Taiwan.

But then most bikes are these days and it should be good as the original German made ones were.

Even Rivendells are made in Taiwan. The Betty Foy was definitely on my short list.

Here it is on Market Street. It ships Friday!

Velouria just did a review of the Betty Foy on her blog and she gave it a thumbs up.

Its just not her style.