Damn those Europeans with their heels on wheels. Forget spandex and speed – we want a chic commute. Carli Philips joins the joyride.

Get moving
Sydney’s Tokyo Bike is heralding the slow bicycle movement; the Japanese brand’s simple-yet-stylish two-wheelers are light enough to carry up your apartment steps and smooth enough for exploring back streets. The trend for upright, classic-frame pushbikes has our hearts aflutter. www.tokyobike.com.au

Loving Melbourne-based Papillionaire’s retro, Dutch-inspired designs – especially the cherry-red version with tan leather seat and grips. Sigh…Just add basket. www.papillionaire.com.au

Want more options? Customise your dream bike at Republic Bikes’ 3D online shop, where you can choose everything from colour rims to tyres. www.republicbike.com.au

For pure luxe, we’re lusting after Gucci’s gorgeous retro-style bicycle, complete with monogrammed finishes.
($3925, 02 9282 4299)

Pimp your ride
Sweden’s Marie-Louise Gustafsson has put a new spin on the wicker basket, with a metal design that detaches for use as a shopping bag. www.nordicfusion.com.au

Brighten up your bike with an oilcloth pannier. Mount it to store your laptop or lunch. www.cyclestyle.com.au

Customise your seat with a design from Busyman Bicycles – think monograms, hand-stitching and embossed artwork. www.busymanbicycles.blogspot.com

The ultimate accessory? Spokey Dokes. Remember those neon charms you stuck on your wheels as a kid? Yes, they’re ba-aack! www.papillionaire.com.au

Meals on wheels
Velo Republic cafe in Canberra's Kingston welcomes walk-ins with a 1930s pushbike out the front and showroom of European racers out the back. Make a pit stop for brekkie and a bike mag. www.velorepublic.com

Melbourne’s gorgeous Salford Lads Club, in a converted car workshop on a popular bayside bike path, is decorated with BMXs from the owner’s private collection.
1 Fennell Street, Port Melbourne

Remy & Lees is tucked away at the end of the cycleway in Sydney’s Surry Hills. They sell parts and pastries, and bike-pump usage is free with a coffee. Signage is by way of “fixies” (fixed-gear bikes) and milk crates out front.
547 Bourke Street, Sydney

Ditch the lycra
For everyday style over speed, we’re thinking Breton stripes and a leather handlebar bag. Pashley (England’s oldest bicycle manufacturer) makes beautiful hand-stitched carriers with buckle fastenings, which hold everything from a milk bottle to the morning paper. www.bakerlite.com.au

For a more mod look, Nutcase sells fun helmets. Think watermelon prints, vibrant orange, gold glitter and stars ’n’ stripes. www.nutcasehelmets.com.au

Flow rider
Hello, culture on the go! ArtBikes is a new initiative lending art lovers designer bikes to navigate Hobart’s gallery precincts. Follow the map and lock up your bikes at artist designed hubs. www.arts.tas.gov.au/arts

We’re also loving the quaint quarterly edition Melbourne For Visitors And Casual Cyclists, with sketches and field guides of the CBD’s hidden heritage spots and vintage shops. It’s the perfect companion to The Humble Vintage rental, which leases out restored old-school bicycles in Melbourne and Sydney.