WE LOVE THE IDEA of his-and-hers holiday gifting. It’s so old-school, like monogrammed towels and matching Mercedes ordered from the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. So for the Della and Jim of the new millennium, here’s a modern spin on the classic bicycle stashed behind the tree: two-wheelers by Dallas-based YBS Bikes. The company, which billed its first sale last December, began as a moonlighting trio of weekend riders—a mortgage banker, a graphic designer, and an IT consultant—and uses an interview-and-customize process to peddle each bike. Customers handpick the components, and YBS adds them to its signature carbon-aluminum frame. The one-of-a-kind roadster is then finished off with a paint job whose faint lace pattern subtly mimics the corset of the company’s pinup girl logo, a throwback to the vamps that adorned World War II fighter planes. It’s the Dell model for the cycling set—just with a more suggestive spokesperson. “People have done it without the girl … out of deference to their spouses,” attests co-owner Michael Elliot. “She’s just a cartoon. But we’ll accommodate.” Well, Santa baby? We’ll take two. So hurry down the chimney tonight. From $2,500 to $7,000.
Pictured here are versions from the YBS Campi Record Carbon Group in Mad-Genta and Red-Ass Red. YBS Bikes, 1851 Timbergrove Circle, Dallas, 214-763-8767, ybsbikes.com. Available online and at Uptown Cycles, West Village, 3839 McKinney Ave., Ste. 105, Dallas, 214-295-5325.
