Cynthia’s Twigs

Cynthia was so charming, she understood exactly what fabric I was looking for, she asked about my dog, my bike… and my age. I couldn’t be happier with my purchase. I’m older so I need to be sure the basket is secure so my dog is safe. The basket and the brace are perfect. I am comfortable biking with this basket and my dog loves it! I had no problem using my credit card, although Cynthia does offer to bill you through Paypal. Don’t know why B. Anna M. didn’t go that route since she is paranoid about her credit card. I don’t think a small business like Cynthia’s would be compromising credit cards, that just doesn’t make sense.

Had to add a little more near 2 years later. A year ago we purchased a local seasonal rental and outfitted it with two Electra bikes along with Cynthia’s baskets. Many of our guests have enjoyed peddling their pups around town and out to the beaches and can’t get over how well our fuzzy guests enjoy their ride and how well our baskets and liners have handled the mileage and continue to look new! :) At this point it’s wonderful to see so many of our neighbors and snow bird part time neighbors jubilantly call out. I got mine! … or … I bought one or more as a gift. but the best is seeing them out and about like a car club waving to one another!

Yay!
I recently got a brand new bike and wanted a cute basket to hold both groceries as well as my dog. George Michael, my dog, is a mini schnauzer and shih-​tzu mix whose weight fluctuates between 15 and 18 lbs so I thought my only option was going to be a rear bike basket since most of the pet baskets were for dogs that were around 10 lbs. However, that idea meant going way over my budget because I needed to get a rear bike rack as well as multiple fittings in order to install it in addition to acquiring a basket.
I’d seen people with sizable dogs in front bike baskets while on holiday in Holland so I knew there had to be something out there. I did find a few places but they were charging exorbitant shipping fees since it would be international. After a few days of some internet research, I stumbled upon Cynthia’s Twigs’ website. I was pleased to see that she was designing baskets specifically for holding dogs and that she had a basket that fits easily over the front handlebars. The blurb said that Cynthia was inspired by the baskets she saw while living in the Netherlands so I didn’t need much more convincing.
I quickly ordered my basket only to realize a few hours later that I’d misread the description and that it was recommended that I also purchase the brace for heavier loads. I emailed Cynthia who was so friendly and helpful and sorted everything out for me. I did have to give her my credit card number over the phone, and though I was wary after reading B. Anna M.‘s review, I gave in because I just wanted my basket! I haven’t had any issues with solicitors like B. Anna M. so I have no complaints. Cynthia was so sweet and helpful on the phone and my basket with the brace arrived just two days later.
My basket is great and it’s so sturdy. George Michael is comfortable in it and has no qualms about going for long rides.
The reason I can’t give her 5 stars is that the baskets are quite pricey and then there’s about a $ 20 shipping fee. I have a feeling that if you were on a really tight budget, you could fashion a similar basket after a quick trip to the wicker section of Home Goods as well as a hardware store.

On June 15 2010, Cynthia of Cynthia’s Twigs contacted me to thank me for the generous and unsolicited blog posts I had made about her baskets. I originally made the blog posts she was speaking of because I liked her product and I thought she was a good person. When I purchased my basket, she told me her incredibly sad story about the bicycle industry being «cut-​throat», stealing her designs, taking advantage of her, recreating her baskets and stamping their name on it, even some websites claiming to sell genuine Cynthia’s Twigs baskets when they are not. Upon receiving my basket, I thought it was superior to those that I had bought in the past and decided it was a good idea to let the world know about it via my new blog and to support a small business.
Cynthia wanted to reward me with a basket and accessories. It was not necessary of her to make such a gesture as my post was created without expectations. I insisted on paying for shipping the product (it was the least I could do). Not two minutes after giving my credit card number, she asked for it again as though she was taking it for the first time. She confused my credit card information with another customer and would have likely charged me for her other customer’s products had I not reminded her that I had just given the information to her. I repeated my name to confirm the details I have just given her match. It seemed from that instance, my name and credit card number was conveniently jotted down on a random piece of paper strewn about the nearest hard surface she could find. Nearly a month later, nothing has come to fruition (good thing I didn’t hold my breath) and I am unsure about the whereabouts of my credit card information and it’s security.
Cynthia’s Twigs has a good basket, but her accounting methods are outdated and the security is questionable in my opinion. Businesses normally punch in credit card information into a machine upon receiving such sensitive details so as not to misplace or compromise customer’s financial accounts. Please use your own discretion.
***Update***
It has just come to my attention that Cynthia’s Twigs has exposed my personal information to all the contacts in their address book. Please be wary about giving any information, including contact info and credit card info, as the company does not take your rights to privacy seriously and is unprofessional with how it’s handled.