Bakfietsen in de Verenigde Staten!

Rolling Orange Bicycles

Clogs, windmills, the stock market: Dutch inventions are nothing if not rooted in the practical. Now, for every parent who’s longed to take a spin around the 'hood but for the toddler clinging to his knees, the De Fietsfabriek line of "carriage bikes" has arrived on our side of the ocean—at a shop in the former Dutch settlement of Breukelen (now known as Brooklyn).

With long, ultra-heavy frames, and front baskets or kid compartments, carriage bikes are a somewhat more manageable way to combine a quick trip to the local deli with Junior's soccer practice. This model boasts a wooden compartment (outfitted with safety straps) in its front half wide enough to fit two little ones with room to spare for little legs and gear. (The padded seat is removable.)

It takes some getting used to--imagine the difference between driving a '67 Impala and a subcompact--but the bike ultimately offers a smooth ride, though you may have to fight a subconscious urge to hit the blinker at a stop sign.

De Fietsfabriek 995, $2,400. 718-935-0695, rollingorangebikes.com