The other day I settled down on the couch to do a little bit of "window shopping" via catalogue with the latest Anthropologie Catalogue that came in the mail. I love flipping the pages although with each exotic location for photo shoots I feel more and more annoyed by their branding and cultural appropriation techniques to sell clothing. Anyway I flipped the page and saw this gorgeous rickshaw and on first glance assumed it was just a picture detailing their location being in India. The next day sitting on the couch and bored, I flipped through the booklet again and this time paused at the rickshaw picture. I was surprised that they used one full page on scenery and this time looked at the info written onthe opposite page and realized that Anthropologie was selling this Trike!
I can't really decide how I feel about this. On one hand, really? What's the quality? It's only $2,200 and that seems a bit cheap for what it is.
However what if a bunch of people with disposable income started to buy them, limited thought they may be in number, and started riding them around NYC or Chicago or egad the SUBURBS? That would be pretty cool. And I will admit I think it's really pretty even though I have vast questions of how practical it is. Is it weather proof? Will it take a good curb hop and keep on ticking? What's it like to actually ride and really? A diamond frame for that load? M'kay sure.
I guess I wish there were well made, pretty and practical and possibly electric pedicabs out there for $2,200 so people would buy them and actually use them and totally transform our roads. That would be hot. Whereas this bike is really meant to sit in a huge loft for show. Yawn...
Can't believe they are selling this! Neat, but also mysterious. In the product description, it says that they designed this. Hard to believe. Maybe they mean like chose the paint colours?... Also, unless I am misreading it says the frame is made of iron. Could be a typo of course. Although I've tried an iron bike from the 1910s once. Anyhow, they need to have this on display at the Anthropologie store in Cambridge so that I can test ride it!
ReplyDeleteVelouria, my thoughts exactly. I wonder if it really is iron and that is because the prototype in India was iron??? Can you imagine walking into an Anthro store and saying " Yeah- I'd like to give the rickshaw a ride". all of those sales women would be at a loss for what to do. What if I started asking about gearing and so on? ha!
ReplyDelete( although that was what it was like when I walked into a design within reach store asking if they had a public. Public sent an email out saying bikes could be found at the DWR stores, but I learned only in SF which makes a little sense- cuz if I were in SF why not just go to the public wharehouse?)
When I was first shopping for bikes, the Gazelle Toer Populair was available via Club Monaco. I went to the Boston store hoping for a test ride. They had like 4 standing in the window front, but were shocked that I actually wanted to ride one and didn't know what to do. They told me that riding the bikes, or even mounting one of the bikes (to determine whether it's my size!) was against store policy. They apparently expected you to just get one without trying? Don't think they thought that part through very well!
ReplyDeleteno they don't. Although did you know that Dutch Bike Co. In Somverville ( now boston) were the distrubuters of the Gazelles? I remember that time I was buying the Sorte and Dan was telling me about his contract with Ralph Lauren/ Club Monaco. I SO very much want to ride this rickshaw. too bad it won't happen.
ReplyDeleteApparently someone at the Times of India was unhappy:
ReplyDeletehttp://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-08/edit-page/30369909_1_designer-rickshaws-pullers-cycle-rickshaws
I noticed the chainring says "neelam," which apparently is a bike maker in the Punjab region. It seems these Anthropolgie rickshaws sell for about ten times what a normal one costs in India.
I'm all for rickshaws in NYC especially if they help replace horse drawn carriages.
ReplyDelete