Tecla hails from Heemstede, a small village,
beautifully located about 30 km from Amsterdam.
She grew up riding and loving bicycles. She has been in the US for eight years.
Biking is still her favorite mode of transportation. She rides her classic
painted opoe-fiets
(old-fashioned Dutch bike) around town and finally decided to do something
about all the comments she was receiving.
"Nice Bike!"
"Where can I get one of those?"
Her father, Frits, is the miracle-worker who
painstakingly found a bike shop owner in Holland
who would export bikes to two wacky girls in the United States, not an easy task.
Alas, JollyBike was born.
|
|
Monet first moved to Boston
about 15 years ago from Syracuse,
NY. She also has been biking her whole life, from those early days riding to St.
Daniel's elementary school, throughout college, and then participating in 3
AIDS Rides and one 7 day ride across Iowa (RAGBRAI).
She is pictured here in Amsterdam on the back of a bike with her
friend Maarten. She swears that Dutch people have an extra gene in them for
balancing people and things on bikes!
Tecla told Monet her idea about
importing and painting Dutch bikes at a party in November of 2005. Monet
quickly accepted her offer as Creative Director and less than six months
later, and a lot of legwork, the first shipment of bikes arrived!
|
