HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU
AND HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN SOON!
In
early 1991, my husband and I accepted his transfer to Europe. Our two kids and I quickly
learned that leaving the car at home and using our bicycles made our
adventures more fun. What
facilitated this dramatic transformation were our European Market
Baskets.
We
became quite comfortable pedaling our way over the narrow cobblestone
streets and bike paths of our little Dutch village to the open-air
markets full of wonderful cheese, crusty European breads, beautiful
flowers and other delights. Oftentimes,
the wonderful aromas would draw us to the many enchanting sidewalk
cafes for a “koekje” and hot chocolate.
On
weekends, my husband and I would fill our baskets with picnic supplies,
and the four of us would pedal through the forested dunes along the
coast of the North Sea until we found a spot that suited our fancy. Springtime was my
favorite, and I can still envision the fields of crocuses, daffodils,
and tulips that marked our way to the beach.
We
returned to the U.S. and settled in The Woodlands, Texas in 1993. We – along with
our new beagle, Freckles – continued to bicycle to our
various activities. On
almost every outing someone asked us where we got our terrific baskets. After a thorough search, I
concluded a European Market Basket was not available in the U.S.
When
I initially tried to convince friends and relatives to ride bikes to
grocery shop etc. their biggest obstacle was how to carry things on
bikes. Until they
complained, I did not even realize that my European bicycle basket that
I had brought from Holland was the key to getting them to use their
bikes for transportation.
I designed a bicycle basket that fits American
bicycles and am now marketing them to bicycle shops, gift shops,
bicycle distributors and outdoor outfitters throughout the U.S. and
Canada.
The
design was key to the basket's popularity. My basket is very large, made of strong willow and
has big built-in hooks that allow you to drop it right on the handlebar. It has a handle that
allows you to pull it off and take it in the grocery store and fill
your basket without using a paper or plastic bag, which are both bad
for the environment.
The
bicycle industry is finally starting to see that I had a good idea. Many are starting to try to
copy my designs. If
I can influence people to ride their bikes just once or twice a week
for their errands that will make a huge impact on our environment.
I'm
hoping to hear from others who want to do their part for the
environment. I
would also love to get pictures of my happy customers out and about
with their puppies in their baskets or doing any fun activity using
your bicycle basket. Please
let me know if it's okay to use your picture on my website.
Recently,
I've found some cool new products and taken some fantastic trips with
my bicycle and hope to share these experiences with you all soon. I hope that you can take
your bike along on vacation to make it healthier and a lot more fun!
Tot Ziens! (til later)
Cynthia |
