Papillionaire Bicycles

These bikes have a vintage look but they are made with modern parts. I am the proud owner of a red Sommer step-​through bicycle from Papillionaire and I absolutely love it; I can’t wait for it to get warm again so I can actually go outside and ride it!
The Store: Papillionaire’s store is in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The bad thing is that it’s really hard to get to – I had to take two buses. The good thing is that Van Brunt street is cute, and has a couple good restaurants and shops, (and the waterfront), so once you get down there it’s nice to walk around for a while. Almost has a small-​town sort of feel. The Papillionaire store is small but has a good selection of bikes and accessories. When I was there I bought my bike, helmet, lights and basket all at once. Since Red Hook is a relatively quiet neighborhood, the people working in the store let you go for a test ride around, which was fun.
When I bought my bike, I just rode it home – then I didn’t have to deal with the bus on the way back! But I saw on their website they have free shipping.
The Bike: I’ve got a step-​through girl’s model of the bike, and I couldn’t be happier with the way it looks or rides. The best part about it is the gear system, which allows you to change gears even when you’re not pedaling, so if you’re stuck at a traffic light, you can switch back to first gear and start off pedaling easy (perfect for NYC). One negative is that the bike is a bit heavy – particularly for me, as I carry my bike up the stairs to keep it my apartment. Though I think it is probably lighter than a real vintage bike. In the end, this bike is a little more expensive than I’d normally pay for a bike, but it is so pretty, and feels like really good quality, so I think it’s worth it.