Beautiful Bicycles: Kate Spade for Adeline Adeline Abici 06/15/11

Whew. That is a mouthful of a name.

So I just call her “Kermit Allegra.”

The first thing you need to know about Kermit Allegra is that, despite being one classy lady, she fits in pretty much anywhere. And she’s especially at home with me in Nashville.

I had ridden an Abici before and dreamed of one pretty much ever since. But superstitiously I feared getting one, because of Nashville’s hills and because reality seldom lives up to memory/dreams.

Well, the Abici ended up being one of those exceptions that proves the rule. Thank goodness. Despite being a single speed, this bicycle’s light weight and sporty geometry make it a pretty solid hill-climber and a joy to ride. The Kate Spade for Adeline Adeline Abici is a Granturismo Donna that has been customized by Kate Spade. Customizations are minimal, but include a rear rack, a front headlight with a vintage look, a special logo and, of course, the signature Kate Spade green color. The bicycle is priced at $1,100, vs. the $995 price tag for the non-Kate Spade Donna, which is a fair additional amount to pay for the addition of a rack and front light (although I have minor issues with both of these components).

The front light has a vintage look. It is battery-powered, which doesn’t bother me—but the fact that the button to turn it on, which is on the back of the light, is jammed up against the front fork (shown in the photo above) does. Perhaps this design flaw will be corrected in future iterations? There are plenty of attractive lights with a side switch.

I take consolation from the creamy ivory grips in marbled plastic and the classic ding-dong bell.

And the Brooks B17 saddle, which was comfortable for my 20-mile ride, the longest for the two of us yet.

The KS Abici’s rear rack is not the Pletscher that is shown on the product page, but something different and curvier. With the addition of rack straps, it is quite functional despite the delicate lines, though unfortunately there is no good place to attach a rear light.

The frame is lugged, with a delicate swoop to the top tube that is oh-so-Italian. The fenders and enclosed chain case make this an all-weather ride, while the coaster brake and front handbrake allow you to keep your hands free to sip a drink. (Drink holder is after-market.)

Kermit Allegra offers you a sweet treat

Despite my single-speed qualms, so far I have ridden this bike everywhere that I have ridden my Peugeot or Batavus—and then some. As someone who prefers to use strength over rapid spinning when it comes to pedaling, I haven’t found the single speed to be any more challenging than my geared bikes, even on the toughest hills. Sure, I’m not speeding up them, but I wasn’t doing that on my other bikes, either.

The reasons for this remain something of a mystery to me, since I have spent more time enjoying the effect than investigating the cause. I have read that there is some loss of power due to the friction between the chain and derailleur  when you’re riding a geared bike, but the reported loss percentages vary between 5% and 20% (and some claim it’s complete BS).

What I know for sure about this bike is that it suits me perfectly in myriad ways. The 47.5 cm frame makes all my other bikes feel too big. The bright, cheery color makes it impossible not to smile when you see it. The single-speed makes riding feel carefree and easy. The drawbacks: less than perfect lighting solutions; rack is not functional without the addition of straps.

If you, too, are looking for your bicycle soul mate, I recommend giving the Kate Spade Abici a whirl. At the very least, you’ll have fun.

{If you couldn’t tell by looking at them, all photos were taken by Dottie.}

Kate Spade Abici for Adeline Adeline, as reviewed here.

MSRP $1,100 includes:

47.5 cm lugged steel frame
Front caliper brake
Rear coaster brake
Enclosed chain case
Ivory marbled plastic handgrips
Brooks B17 saddle
Front battery-powered headlamp
Rear rack
Fenders
Kickstand
Bell

Add-ons by me:
Rack strap
PDW Bar-ista

This bicycle was given to me in exchange for ad placement on this site. However, the views expressed in this post are completely my own.