Fenya's Sweet Ride

Fenya has always had an appreciation for vintage items. This was not the case for me when I was her age - the newer the better, for most things. Luckily, my appreciation for history and pop culture ephemera and the realization that few things really last long enough to become memorable has greatly increased my enjoyment of things from the past. In Fenya's case, it has also provided her with a cool bike with an intriguing history.

Back in early June, she had expressed an interest in getting a cruiser-style bike, and I offered to help her track one down. There seemed to be some likely prospects at Canadian Tire with decent reviews to their name, but alas, they were all sold out at our local store and not orderable online. When we drove to the other side of the city, we discovered the two we thought we had spotted in their inventory had already been spoken for. It turns out the pandemic has done tremendous things to the bike market, and as a result, there are very few of any type to be found under the $500 mark.

The other night, for whatever reason, I took a look on Kijiji and saw an ad for a "vintage European ladies step-through bike." It looked to be in good shape, with new tires, and had the retro charm I knew Fenya would enjoy. Most importantly, I saw that it had the basket which was essential to her, even though it was mounted on the back and not the front.

I passed along the ad and noted her interest, and suggested she and her boyfriend Bobby could check it out since they were planning to be on the southside Friday night anyhow. Lo and behold, later that evening they returned with the bike. The seller turned out to be someone who fixes bikes as a hobby, had repaired this one for his daughter but she had moved into an apartment and had no room for it. What a lucky find!

Seeing it up close revealed it was even older than I had originally thought, but in remarkable condition, with the original shifter in place and a logo I didn't recognize. Fenya reached out to the seller to ask what brand it was and how he had come across it and discovered it was a Kettler Alu-Rad from Germany. He had bought it a decade ago from a German lady who had brought it over in the '70s, and guessed it was a late seventies model. 

I looked up Kettler and discovered they had actually started out making pedal cars for children (Kettcars). They only began manufacturing bicycles in 1977, so Liesl is very likely to be one of their earliest models. The original silver and maroon trim frame and fenders had been painted over with a butter yellow that suits Fenya right down to the ground.

As someone who grew up in the Cold War, it took me a moment to realize that this bike would probably not bear a stamp reading "Made in Germany" but more likely, "Made in West Germany." And it is so much compelling to me to know that Liesl made her transatlantic journey as a personal belonging and not simply a product of commerce. 

I mean, the most important thing about a bicycle is where it can take you, but it is very cool to know that Fenya's new ride has already come a long way, and through interesting times. Who knows where she and Liesl might end up?