louise.avander's blog | www.pilencykel.se

Pilen donates bicycles to SSRS on Käring Island in Bohuslän

Since our last visit, we have longed to Käringön! The Avander family and Magnus Tamelander arrived at the port of Hällevikstrand and is picked up by the Swedish Sea Search and Rescue. We make an appointment with Anders and Matthias to have our 11 o'clock coffee on the rescue ship Broström the next day. The hotel is situated just near the shore and we stow our bags away and then go crab fishing in the warm winds and the salty fragrance from the sea.

In the dim welding light ...

Martin the Engineer sleeps poorly, has deep wrinkles on his forehead and works to late in the evening. Strange sounds can be heard from the workshop. Something big is in the air here at Pilen Cykel, something that has not happened in many years.

Retailer party and Pilen 10-year anniversary

Now approaching Christmas by leaps and here at the bicycle factory, we have got a good taste of Christmas through our 10-year anniversary which we celebrated with a retailer party. We ate a genuine Småländskt smorgasbord where, besides the more traditional dishes, we served both potato dumplings, Swedish turnip pudding and cabbage pudding.

Pilen in Milano

One cold day in April, I left Målilla to visit a Milan in the full bloom of spring. I was picked up by our dealer and good friend Simone. We travelled to his home where his family waited and the best risotto I have ever tasted!

Motopil

Half-way between Hultsfred and Målilla lives a very clever man with an even more clever son. They are the kind of people who live by the motto: If it aint broken – fix it anyway. That is: the construction and the fiddling is an end in itself and a great joy in life.

Two Wheels Expo i Älvsjö

The 25-28 January, we exhibited on Tvåhjulsmässan (Two Wheels Expo) in Älvsjö. We did not really know what that would await us, but we have to say that we went happy and strengthened back to Småland. It was great fun that so many of our dealers came and visited us and it was as fun to meet new prospective traders.

We also met many consumers, which could ask their questions and test-drive different models. It felt good to share some of their enthusiasm and joy. The youngest Pilen cyclist was 11 and the oldest was 81 years!

Bicycle dealers from Ekjsö

The Pilen dealers from Cykelsmedjan in Eksjö came to visit and inspected our factory. They also test drove our bicycles. We are happy for all visits and the opportunity to talk to our wonderful dealers.