Betty is a Motobecane "Nomade", a classic Swiss racer from the 70's. I've had her modified to a single speed to make the most of her clean lines and classic look. She has the aesthetic elegance of a (currently) uber trendy "fixy" or fixed axle bike but is a far easier ride without the pitfalls of such things. Not necessarily as comfortable as my everyday workhorse tourer/mountain bike, but by god is she fast. After cycling her home on her virgin voyage I went straight inside and grabbed my cycle helmet - I'd been overtaking cars in a 30mph zone...
Close-up of the single speed modification - normally the bike/wheel would be set up for a gear cassette block (and still can be), but this simple mod introduced two spacers either side of the single cog. With the possibility of one day leaving the extremely flat disco village and moving to Sheffield, one of England's more hill laden areas, I've managed to acquire of the least practical modes of transport possible :-) Thigh's like tree-trunks, me.
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