Not everyone wants to don fluorescent spandex just to get some errands done in a non-carbon-producing manner. So why not turn instead to the Dutch Bike Co. in Ballard? Their super-sturdy, Euro-style two-wheelers are like Volvo station wagons for the peak-oil set, with racks, baskets, saddlebags, and a giant front-mounted wooden cargo box beefy enough to pedal a couple kids to preschool (or a full keg to your beach barbecue). Weighing in at over 30 pounds (and up), and equipped with fenders, bells, chain guards, and lovely leather seats, these shiny behemoths aren't exactly concerned with shaving off the ounces. As in Amsterdam, the riding position is back?waaaay back?with your hands up high; utilitarian comfort is the goal, not winning the Tour de France. Soon to expand to a newer, bigger Ballard location, Dutch Bike Co. has a Chicago store and expects to open in Manhattan by fall. Founder David Schmidt says he's courting customers "who've never ridden a bike," or those asking of their second car, "'Why do we need one?'" His imported Retrovelo and Dutch Workcycles brands cost from $1,300 up to two grand, and the cargo bike, or "Bakfiets," is a hefty $3,000.?Brian Miller