Biking Culture In America Vs. Europe

I know this is giving in to a total lifestyle indulgence moment, but imagine being a mommy cruising around in your amazing pale blue Madsen Cycle (aka Mommy Mobile)? Oh it's lovely and very practical don't you think? My husband tells me that in Germany you can purchase bike insurance so you are protected against theft which for a Madsen I would absolutely do this. LOVE. THIS. BIKE. I also heard that in my city of Hannover that most aren't going to run off with your bike, theft is quite low so that's a bonus. In the states though, honestly, I don't see myself ever spending this much cash on a designer bike for basic transportation services. People steal bikes in the states left and right and they end up on eBay or Craigslist and there's no way to ever recover it.

Madsen Mommy Mobile

I think America has a LONG way to go before they'll ever have the biking culture that exists in Europe but thanks to lifestyle pushers biking is becoming hip and cool vs. "poor man's transportation" or for sport or children only... And that's good. I have many American friends who want to bike everywhere and LOVE the concept but not all cities and towns here have the infrastructure for bicycles (no designated lanes, for one).

Madsen

Marketing a bike as trendy and cool is how to sell a bike to the average car driver here. Make it into a lifestyle object, and you just may have started something. Hey, to me, whatever sells this is fine by me. I fully support it no matter how it is packaged. In my trendy New Hampshire town, the only ones who rely on bikes for transportation are the Jamaicans hired to live in town seasonally by the farms. Trust me, as a southerner who recalls watching the African Americans pick cotton and weave baskets growing up, I really dislike seeing them working the fields in my town. I want to see the Caucasian Abercrombie teenagers who work in the farm shop at the cash registers doing it, who say Like and Totally and have that annoying pitch at the end of their sentences as they text message their BFF while ringing in your $8. a pound organic lemons. But that's a whole 'nother blog post. The Jamaicans in my New Hampshire town are given beat up bikes to get around, live together in a huge barn (20+ of them) and in addition to their bikes they have trucks and tractors owned by the farm. They come up to work the fields, earn their living, and return to Jamaica to live with their families after the Fall Harvest returning again around May. All the "white" professional working class folks have their designer bikes in which they only ride if sporting this kind of Tour de France spandex logo plastered gear. I've never once spotted anyone here riding a bike just for the sake of running an errand. That would be a huge no no in my town as it's not considered hip or posh. Driving mini Coopers or the giant SUV is absolute necessity.
Simple City by Fisher

Simple City 8W by Fisher, another favorite of mine.
Again, we have a long way to go in America, especially outside of American cities. It's a big country, hugely dependent on the automotive industry. The rail system here is rubbish and Amtrak sucks unless you are lucky enough to live in Philly, DC or NYC and go to any of these 3 destinations regularly, then it's fine. The Boston - NYC connection is a joke. Rubbish. To quote chef/travel writer/show host Tony Bourdain (my idol), "Amtrak Sucks". Expensive too, hundreds of dollars round trip and very inconvenient travel times. But we can dream and hope that Madsen and other bicycle companies in the states designing for practical purposes and not merely sport are able to have their day in the sun. I want this so badly here, I depended on my bike growing up and plan to depend on it once again when I relocate because there I will have things called bike paths and the support of my community who not only ride their bicycles to run errands but who encourage others to do the same.

Velorbis - Made in Germany

Personally, I want to invest in a Velorbis bike, made in Germany modeled after traditional Danish bike design. Love these bikes and the wonderful baskets but red is not for me so perhaps something less bold. I saw them in Hannover for the first time in a bike shop there for the first time and told Tee, "I want that one someday". He just smiled. He builds bikes as a hobby but told me I could buy whatever I want. He is still building his own. :) Do you bike? Where do you live? Is biking for normal transportation popular where you live? (image: madsen)

Comments

I don't think the worry of bicycles being stolen should stop a person from buying a bike that she wishes to have. You just invest in expensive (heavy!) locks and learn safety measures for what you're locking your bike to and where. That said, I bike absolutely everywhere I go in Berlin. My husband bikes 30 km to work.
In the US, we don't bike. We want to, but my husband has been hit by a car, and I am always being pushed off the road by insanely large vehicles like Hummers. It makes me sad, but I'd rather be alive and sad. ;)
Have funny getting a bike. You'll love it.
Katie
alex said…
I purchased a beautiful Electra Amsterdam bike, steel, leather, skirt gaurd - the works for $600 and it has been the best $600 I've spent.

But, I live in Santa Monica CA where the weather is amazing, it's a bike town, and pretty flat. I don't own a car and do all my errands on this bike. The downside? I'm afraid to leave it for long periods of time because of it getting stolen and I have to hike it up 2 floors to my flat for the same reasons.

Everyone I know in Santa Monica or Venice has had bikes stolen and it's so sad to me because when I'm in Denmark and I bike, I don't even have to lock it up half the time. And in Denmark, people don't gawk at a pretty or commuter bike (or if you wear a dress and heels).

I so, so, so miss the Danish bike culture (and lanes - even out in the country) and I miss how normal it is to not have a car but to have a bike (I can't count the countless remarks I've got from people who think it's weird to not own a car and how I'm an "alternative commuter").

I LOVE the bikes you shared (especially the one for children - I'd put my dog in that!!) but I think that they will remain mostly dreams for those who live in the US. Sad, but true, even with people like us talking about it.
haus maus said…
Hi Katie - Thank you for the tip! Do you have bike insurance in Germany? How much do you pay for this?

Alex - I love Santa Monica. I think it's the only place I could live in America honestly at this point. You are so lucky to live there. I guess you just have to make the best of the down sides. But you can always come join me someday and make the big jump back home, only to your native Denmark of course. Then you'll only be a 45 min flight from me or we can meet near the border. Just not on our bikes. On the train. :)
Simone Howell said…
I have to have one of those bikes! I'm off to ebay or craiglsit to find a hot one!! lol.
So jealous that you'll be living in such a great place. Enjoy your new town and all the bike riding you'll be doing. We are heading to Paris in October...any suggestions?
I live in San Francisco (they are ready to build 35 new miles of bike lanes) many streets are too hard for me to bike up and most times the wind is ghastly, so it's a hard city to ride in (unless you are young and/or fit)But I do have a nice thrift store bike that could use more trips to the park or beach. Or I could just move to Europe too. I vote move to Europe!
alix said…
I love ALL those bikes you posted! (baby blue is adorabl!! I can totally see you on one of those. and maybe i'll take the red. hee!)

I have had a crazy biking history in San Francisco. My friend Mirka and I bought two 70s banana seat bikes (with daisys on the seats) and rode them around (but more like kooky casual sidewalk bikes!). Then I went through a big retro 40s/50s phase and hung out with these guys ("The Junk Boys" haha) who had a junk shop and rode 40s bikes with the big handle bars. Those darn bikes weighed 400 pounds! I finally got a little 50s Schwinn with a basket. Much more my speed! We rode it around the neighborhood but because of the crazy hills i never rode it to work (well, and because it was a total vanity bike). Then I met greg who rode his bike to work every day and was much better about actually USING it (i admit i was just trying to look cute on mine...). He convinced me to do the SF AIDS ride where you ride your bike to Los Angeles. I am sooooo unsporty but I thought of it as a challenge and did it. It was amazing, hard as hell, crazy, super inspiring....and i have not been on a damn bike since!!!!! hahahaha. It's terrible, huh. Your bike photos are so great. I don't know if its psychological but winding around a European town sounds easier, safer and cuter than schlepping down our busy streets and getting whacked by a car door or hit by a nutzo SUV. (OK, i'm officially a blabber mouth...or maybe its the wine from dinner...hmmm) xoxo alex
Anonymous said…
Living in the Netherlands, biking is a way of life -- although I've yet to start biking myself! (I like walking and Utrecht is easily walkable.) Bike theft is still pretty common here, but that's why a lot of people don't bother getting fancy bikes. Also, here the bikes like the first one you posted have the container bit up front, rather than behind, usually. The bakfiets, as it's called here, comes in two or three-wheel styles, and you can get them with hoods for the container area, even.
plainbananas said…
I absolutely love the bike photos you posted, though the ultimate Mommy bike would have too heavy a load for my to carry I think. I've been wanting a bike for a while now, and I'm aiming on getting one in the fall. I live in Chania, Greece at the moment, and though there isn't any infrastucture for cyclists, quite a number of people using the bicycle as a means of transportation.

I'll be relocating in Cyprus in August and I hope to get a bike when I'm there. I know for sure that there are absolutely no bike lanes etc, but I think for day-to-day small errands in town, it's the ideal vehicle, especially for a manageable city. Besides, if more people choose this vehicle, something could eventually be done about having proper bike lanes in the future.

I'm definitely eyeing the Velorbis red bike as a future purchase -- thanks for that!
Traveling Mama said…
It is taking everything in me not to jump up and down or run around the room after reading this post. This and the one you posted over at Decor8 with the Danish designs because it looks like we are going to accept a job offer in Denmark. And as if I was not already excited enough, you keep offering all this eye candy. I keep calling my husband over with "OMG! You have to come see this!" Ha! Have you seen Copenhagen Cycle Chic? Here is the link just in case:
http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com/

It could make a grown girl weep! All those fashionable folks gliding along on their beautiful bikes is so dreamy! My life here in Morocco is SO different, especially since I live in a small city. I spend most of my time in the house because there are not many places for women to go alone. It has been a huge frustration for me to not have the freedom to go and do as I please, especially since I am an extremely driven and highly independent woman! It has given me a whole new appreciation for the women of Morocco. They endure so much more than I ever have. As a foreigner I have so many more freedoms and luxuries.

My dreams now are filled with thoughts of simply having the freedom to hop on a bike with my kids loaded in the bucket and just go somewhere. Anywhere! Anywhere I want! My daughter has suffered here too and she talks non stop about buying a new bike. We both are contemplating pale blue or a creamy white. She wants a basket and I keep telling her that she can have whatever bike she wants!

Thank you so much for your recent posts! I also responded to your question about what we would pack if we could only bring a few items. The post is up on my blog now!
Hugs from Morocco!
Aveen said…
I'm quite lucky. I live in London and there are lots and lots of cyclists here. We have a lot of bike paths, and even on the roads where there aren't any bike paths, the drivers are well used to cyclists. And there's no stigma attached to cycling - it's not uncool (in fact in some trendy areas like Stoke Newington, everyone seems to have a bike). A lot of people in London (myself included) don't own a car because it's impossible to drive anywhere and even more impossible to park, so I'd be lost without my bike! I cycle about fifty miles a week including to and from work every day and it saves me a fortune in train fares :)

My bike isn't pretty like the ones in the photos you posted though :( It's a very ordinary Ridgeback Comet.
Juliette said…
We both bike everywhere in our German university town. My husband bikes to work every day and I use mine for most everything. We did car-sharing and biking for a year and we only quit because we calculated we'd spend the same money monthly on paying off a nice car of our own that in the end would be ours and not the carsharing company's! (too many trips to my MIL to visit and help with stuff, but i love her! =) Now we can visit far away places cheaper anyhow.

We didn't and don't have bike insurance. There is insurance for everything in Germany. My husband has insurance on 2 keys he has to his workplace. Crazy. Our renter's insurance actually covers our physical property as well and our bikes count, so they're covered under that. I forget how much it is, but it's peanuts, so just tack it on. We use Cosmos Direct here in Germany. No storefront, all online. Great customer service on real FREE phone calls. Great rates too. Check them out.

Bikes get stolen left and right here, probably due to all the Uni people (more of them than non-uni people here!), so making sure they were covered was important.

One tip on purchasing a bike, which you've probably already heard from your husband: different bikes serve different purposes. Ours are great for what we do in town, but the frames are pretty heavy, making them not as fun for weekend or longer vacations on the MANY beautiful mostly-paved biking trails around Germany. I wish we had lighter frames, but oh well. Honestly, we don't really do biking trips, but we wish we did. I think we might actually do one if we had lighter bikes =)
sofablog said…
This makes me smile. I've seen enthusiastic musings about bikes on many American blogs lately and I can only say one thing to you: move to Holland and you'll loose any romantic ideas about biking. I use my sturdy bike for all my daily routines - and my son has been going with me since he was nine month old. He now is 7 and has his own ride. You think "great, where's the problem?". Well the problem is the weather. Remember? Holland? Let me tell you: wind, rain, unhappy kid and groceries in combination with bike ride - it's no fun whatsoever. Don't get me wrong: bikes are a brilliant cheap non-polluting means of transportation and there should be more people using them. But I wouldn't expect too much lifestyle-happiness from riding your bike daily ;-) Claudia
panyizsuzsi said…
Holly! You will love these bikes in Europe. I live in Szentendre, Hungary, a little town, nerby Butdapest (the capital) mainly lived by artist and architects. I just purchased a simple bike this spring. I tell you the truth I love it! If I just want to go a couple blocks to the baker I do not need to fasten the seatbelts for the kids and hassle with parking. Just hop on hop off, the kids love it too.
In Hungary there is an bikers subculture boom. There are shops for bikers, biking supplies and clothes you can comfortly ride your bike in!
erin said…
when i went to france for the first time at the age of 15, i was struck by the bicycle culture there so much so that i purchased a french bike (basket, saddle bags and all) and lugged it back with me on the plane (oh, the joys of traveling without so many luggage restrictions). now i live in a small southern city and use my bike for all kinds of everyday transportation--the key is definitely making your bike errand friendly by adding baskets and bags for easy transport. although i don't see many bikers using their bikes for errands, there are definitely a friendly few in town. one bit of advice for small city american bikers: ride in the middle of the road! american drivers are so unused to looking out for bicycles that they tend to plow you down if you're not uber-visible!

thanks for the post holly, interesting food for thought.
Allison said…
I live in Montreal, which has a very European sensibility towards biking. We have lots of bike paths (something like 700km). This year the city just launched bixi (bicycle + taxi), a public bicycle system similar to some in Europe, but they made a lot of modifications, learning from the existing systems. For example, the bikes are a totally new design so that no parts are interchangeable with other bicycles. The whole system is pretty cool and since my neighbourhood is within the pilot area, it's super convenient. This initial deployment of 300 stations and 3000 bicylces is just a pilot phase, so it only covers one section of the city, but within that area, there are stations every 500m. The basic idea is that you check out a bicycle, ride it wherever you're going, then check it back into another station. You never need to worry about your bike being stolen for one thing. You can learn more about it at bixi.ca.
I just bought a new bike (an electra amsterdam) and I absolutely love it! We live in a tiny town in Michigan and, since there's not too much traffic around these parts, I feel perfectly safe riding around, even without bike lanes. However, it's definitely not bike-friendly in terms of errands. There are very few places to lock up my bike when buying groceries, etc. Only my workplace (a college) has adequate lock-up.

I hope you get your bike soon. It's a great way to explore and it makes you feel great!
Bicycling...
My parent have always been avid cyclists so i got my first bike relatively young but was always steered towards to "mountain bikes" since the "townies" similiar to the ones posted here where too girly...LOL
I of course always wanted one...
Now i live in a small city on Vancouver Island which altho not being particularily bike friendly for trails does have a HUGE biking populace...
I ride my newest mountain bike( a gift from my dad) and sigh at all the cute pink townie bikes all day...
I think Europe probably has more of a biking culture cause everything is so close together... here if i want to ride to the shops it 23km away...plus I used to live in Alberta where cyclist have bottles thrown at them, cars have tried to open their door to hit cyclists, or large semis blare their horns to scare you... All of these things happened to my parents while riding there... We also lost 2 cyclists in my hometown alone to drunk drivers...
So i can agree with Katie about the fear of cycling in some areas....
Kerstin said…
Hi Holly - Like Alex I, too, miss the European bicycling culture. I grew up in Germany (Cologne) but now live in a small town by the sea in the Pacific Northwest. And this is the first place in America (I lived in Massachusetts before) where I can cycle again regularly. Even though it can be a bit hilly we have lovely trails through the forests and along the water. I brought over my bicycle that I bought in England many years ago and here I can totally use it as a comfortable means of transport, whether it's a trip to the post office or Farmer's Market.

Sadly, I don't see the culture in America changing significantly. Unless you live in a moderate climate and more progressive area (such as California) the infrastructure, as you said, is just not geared towards it.

A friend of mine is very active with the rail-to-trail conversion project and some of the stories he tells, of people trying to obstruct such a wonderful idea, are hair raising. People who will take violent measures to protect the borders of their properties because they don't want the proximity of people walking or cycling. Yes, this country has a long way to go.

Take care,
Kerstin
Malinda said…
I have not read all the comments yet, BUT I live in LA and bike EVERY where. I have not owned a car in 5+ years. When my husband and I first moved to LA our room mate had a car and we would do most everything either by public transport or our own two feet.

It is possible to live in a big city (even one that is NOT bike friendly like LA).

I highly encourage any one to ride. I wish biking in America was like biking in Europe, but the same forces that stole the public transportation systems of most large cities, stole the idea that you could bike everywhere as well.

I'm looking forward to my next holiday in Japan, where being on a bike is better than walking or driving in the eyes of most folks. 5 weeks and counting.
Gilby said…
The husband and I have over a dozen bikes, a few of them worth more than our car. We use our bikes for transportation in all seasons in Minneapolis (I did not own a car before we were married), and have yet to have a bike stolen...knock on wood! A good lock and knowing how to lock (e.g. locking frame AND wheels) goes a long way. I see plenty of lonely front wheels locked to the bike rack...sans bike. People know not to leave the car unlocked with the keys in the ignition, but treat their bikes as cheap toys.

But who can blame them, really, when American culture views cycling as child's play? As a result, cycling is not covered in drivers education. Yet cyclists have the same rights & responsibilities as auto drivers. Because cycling does not require a driver's license (and therefore and understanding of traffic laws), and drivers are not taught how to interact with cyclists, the situation can get hairy. Cyclists only have insurance coverage if they own an insured automobile; if cycling is your only transportation and your bike is destroyed in an accident, you're likely out of luck. This lack of education and insurance protection only further delegitimizes and endangers riders of lower socioeconomic status.

All that said, it is wonderful to see the dramatic increase of cyclists here, as I know it's a sign of a greater trend throughout the US. I hope that we can rival Europe's bike-centric culture some day. Do indulge in the cycling lifestyle--you will LOVE it!
waterlilysage said…
i'm in philadelphia and yup, bike all around town. to work, to play, to shop. also drive on occasion, but parking is a pain. city is pretty flat. cars are starting to get used to bikers in the past 5 years. philly has a ways to go as far as extending the network of bike lanes, but we're working on it.

so yes, i'll speak for philly, people bike to do their daily life here.
Anonymous said…
Love the bikes you posted! I have an Electra Townie and it's wonderful. So easy to ride. Biking is totally a way of life here in Cambridge/Somerville. So much so, that bikers get away with whatever they want, often mowing down pedestrians (speaking from experience). I use my bike to run local errands and to get to work in the summer. Though work is also only a 10 minute walk. I think there's hopes in our cities, but I don't think the U.S. has the density that Europe has, and I don't have high hopes for lots of bike transit outside of the cities.

Speaking of Amtrak... it sucks! Aside from having crap schedules, they do not allow any pets!? How stupid is that? They'd double their ridership right instantly if they had pet-friendly cars. So stupid.
→lisa said…
I don't own a bike because I'm way too paranoid to try to ride one in Manhattan. I'd love to have one though. The drivers here are just too aggressive and law-breaking, and I think you need to be a kind of crazy, bend-the-rules rider to get by here on a bicycle. No thanks, I'll stick with the good old NYC subway, smelly as it is :)

I wish the US were more bike-friendly and that more people considered mass transit as worthwhile and important. Maybe with the collapse of the US auto industry and rising oil prices, bicycles and mass transit will start to look more appealing and people will start to pressure their state and city govt's to look for ways to better accomodate them.
SoniaBonia said…
Thank you for this post! When I lived in Holland I would bike everywhere- even to Belgium and Germany! (I lived in Maastricht which is situated between the two countries.) I miss it dearly. Right now I live in Indianapolis and its unheard of to bike anywhere. However, I am planning on moving downtown where I will bike everywhere! The sad thing is that I live a mile from a beautiful bike shop where I've had my eye on a mint green cruiser for months! I can not wait to buy it!
jebcat said…
I love doing errands with my bike here in Munich. If weather permits I also drive to my workplace, which takes only 10 minutes more than going there by public transport and has the additional benefit of >1 hour of good exercise even on busy days.
Many people own several bikes here, some of them are pretty old and rusty, and conveniently place them at subway stops, so they can pick them up whenever they need them (e.g. to go home after a visit to the beergarden).
Bettina said…
Holly,

One thing you absolutely have to look out for when taking bike insurance is the fine print.

I was paying a ridiculous amount for my two bikes (one of it a customized, self-build mountain bike), because I thought, hey, it's worth it. Turns out, as one of the bikes got stolen the insurance company refused to refund anything because I was supposed to keep the insured bike inside a locked room between 10pm and 6am. Next time my bike goes missing I so do know what to put in the form.

I second Katie here, a heavy lock (Abus, Kryptonite) is a necessary investment. That won’t stop professional thiefs, but at least the ones looking for a transportation mode from the pub to their home.

That said, I just bought this beauty for my daily ride to work and for bike tours on the weekend. Next trip coming up: Steinhuder Meer round trip.

I'll be watching the streets for you on your red Velorbis!
Renate said…
I'm with oranjeflamingo. I'd feel much safer with the kids in front, where I can see them. The dutch 'bakfiets' even comes with safetybelts for the kids, and raincovers to keep them dry :-)
Also very handy when you have lots of groceries to get back home.
If I were you, I'd go for a cargobike.
http://www.bakfiets.nl/eng/models_cargo_bike.php
Laura said…
Lovely pictures!

I recently travelled to Germany (Freiburg) and I loved the fact that the city centre is car-free. Everybody rides a bike and the city is completely cyclist-friendly with lots of bike parking spaces. We also travelled by train to a nearby place and there was plenty of space for people carrying their bikes on it.

I live in Dublin and here there are some bike lanes in the city centre but in general cycling is not a very safe experience.
Holly! You've picked some awesome bikes!

I live in Austin, TX -- a city which touts itself as "green" -- and while it is greener than most cities, it's hard to ride a bike places. You have to really be committed. I didn't have a car for 3 years, and I ended up walking lots of places because it felt safer. I've had people yell at me, honk their horn at me, try to run me off the road, etc.

Once I got so mad at at a driver I chased them down, and asked the lady wearing a suit dress why she tried to kill me. She replied that she didn't like "my kind" and that I didn't deserve to use the road because I didn't pay insurance. What??!
Laura said…
I'm trying to decide what kind of bike seat to get for my growing child and I've looked at this bike. It is gorgeous! But I'm not confident in making the investment...
I live in Seattle where it is hilly and not always the nicest weather. But I'll keep looking for the perfect option because I love using transportation other than our car.
Anonymous said…
my husband Dave and I live in Portland, Or and luckily it is pretty bike friendly, at least in the city proper, not so much out in the suburbs. I'm still only an occasional bike rider for errands and groceries on weekends, but my husband is a full time bike commuter. We both have Electra Amsterdam's and they are pretty good little bikes. Dave also has a 1950's Raleigh. The Velorbis looks amazing. I think if we had it to do over again we'd probably spend a little more and get something a bit more sturdy, especially for my husband who rides his bike every day.

It seems in Portland there is a funny "in-the-club" kind of attitude to biking sometimes but it's getting better as more people ride bikes. There are the hipsters on their "fixies" and the sporty neon spandex clad businessmen all hunched over and getting stuck in their pedan clips at stop lights...

But then there is the emerging groups: mom in a bakfeits or the girl in a dress and heels on the way to work, upright, calmly pedaling getting where they are going and looking like they actually enjoy it riders. Not nearly as many people look puzzled by Dave in a suit and fedora riding his bike as they dd a year ago. :)
Anonymous said…
Hi there! My wife and I live in Portland, OR and I particularly go almost everywhere by bike, though we both use our bikes quite a lot. We both bought Electra Amsterdams, and I've made a number of modifications to mine to make it a bit sturdier and more practical. I do nearly all our grocery shopping, trips to the library, picking up cat supplies, everything on it, at all times of year.

Portland is a pretty great city to ride in, by American standards. The inner part of the city is pretty flat, the streets are small, speed limits are low, and the city employs a lot of traffic calming and routing measures to make certain routes friendlier to non-automotive traffic. I even see a lot of people skateboarding and roller-blading all over town. The inner part of the city also has a number of paths that are entirely separated from car traffic that lead to major areas of town. Thankfully people here are generally pretty nice about both cyclists and pedestrians, and there aren't too many people who do crazy stuff like running people off the road intentionally and that kind of thing, though it does happen from time to time. People are starting to use bicycles as everyday transportation more and more, though there are still very definite culture groups - the lycra hornets, the fixie fadsters, etc :)

My morning commute every day involves riding slowly through quiet neighborhoods, past small cafes, down to the river, over the bridge with the sun rising behind me, and then along the waterfront watching ducks swim along and people out walking their dogs.

I love the freedom that a bike gives me to go where I want, to stop and look at things, to set my own pace, to leave and arrive when I need to. I love the experience of the city that it gives me, enjoying each season for it's beauty and giving a whole new perspective on the city I live in.
mamichan said…
Those are some super cute bikes that you posted.

I live in Minneapolis and it's been ranked the 2nd best bike-riding city after Portland. My husband and I have been car-less by choice since 2003. We started biking around 3 years ago but only from spring to fall. But we bike everywhere -- grocery store, friend's homes, work, etc. As a kid I grew up in Japan where nearly everyone owns a bike. The average Japanese home has 2+ bikes but probably not a car and when I lived there I rode just about everywhere year-round.

Don't let the fear of bikes getting stolen keep you from it. I first purchased a nice expensive bike and it was stolen -- twice! The first time the police recovered it from a pawn shop -- make sure to write down the serial number and have photos of the bike! -- but I lost it for good with the second theft. Since then I've owned a not-as-nice bike and it's been fine.
whoistracy said…
I think cycling as a sport in my area (western New York) is starting to take off. I began riding a couple years ago as an alternative to running, and partly because of knee problems. Just bought a road bike, which was nearly impossible to find! Had to get one online as local shops don't sell anything but mountain bikes.

Using a bike to run errands is practically unheard of around here, too. My own parents and siblings mock me because I am searching for the PERFECT basket to put on my bike so I can run errands instead of wasting gas. It's great exercise and it's FUN! But again, hard to find a basket or rack here. Even harder to find a place to tie up your bike. It must be chained or it will get stolen- sad.
Anonymous said…
The one nice thing about owning a non-sport bike in the US, is that it's big, heavy, everything is bolted on, and that means that almost nobody would want to steal it, since most people are interested in light as a feather quick-release, minimalistic bikes to go as fast as possible. :) Guaranteed parked at a bike rack with 10 racing bikes, mine's going to be the last one to get pilfered :)

My personal dream bike is this one, from WorkCycles in the Netherlands:

http://clevercycles.com/store/photos/1554.jpeg

Built to last for generations, practical and pretty :)
lovely textiles said…
I just found this post because I'm looking at funky mummy bikes just now. I'll probably get a junky one and funk it up because of (UK) theft and my own clumsiness!
But what an interesting post this was! I had no idea about the class/race structure where you are, that's horrendous.
Thanks for a really interesting post and the gorgeous bike eye candy.
Unknown said…
Just FYI, your homeowners insurance should cover bike theft. My renters insurance (which I don't think to Traveler's Insurance is considered different) covers all of my personal property, anywhere in the world, not just in my home. Also, if you use the proper U-Lock, theft is much more difficult, so I don't think you should have to live bikeless because of fear of theft!
Anonymous said…
Yes, I do. I live in Heidelberg, southern Germany and it's a student city, so it's full of bikes. It's hugely popular, I have decided to go by bike the next weeks. How else would I keep from getting fat ;)
Dan W. said…
I commute here in Philadelphia on my '87 Schwinn Voyageur and generally love every minute of it. I've not lived for any appreciable amount of time in Germany or greater Europe, but I am close to a German friend and we often compare notes. In my experience even with bike lanes American drivers and pedestrians just aren't educated about the rules that already exist and regardless of the rules don't exercise common courtesy. This is only exacerbated by the number of cyclists who break the rules themselves creating resentment in the drivers around them.

Even with all that I still enjoy commuting to work. Our office has moved several times and I've ridden from 3 to 8 miles to work and most times it's been enjoyable. Yes, there have been close calls and I have been hit by a car (while in the bike lane) and even with all that I love to ride and encourage anyone interested to learn and share in bike culture. It's spreading here, slowly, but steadily. Someday we'll have what Europeans already enjoy.
Kay said…
Here in Rockford, IL (2nd largest city in IL and a Chicago suburb) it is nearly impossible to ride a bike for daily errands or to work. While there are bike paths in parks, they are rare on main roads. Traffic is heavy with no room on the side of the road for bikers, not to mention our roads are full of potholes from 6 months of plows pushing snow.
My husband and I bike, mainly as an exercise, but I so wish that it could be a part of our daily lives. I love how free and young I feel.
The sad thing is that our city is so dangerous I cant even go biking on the park paths by myself for fear of being attacked. Such a shame. I will have to live through your stories of pretty bikes and friendly towns.
~SarahInParis~ said…
LOVE these bikes. It was SO fabulous to be in Holland and watch all the different bikes zip past. I only wish it would catch on in Paris!!
KAT! said…
i visited japan (swoon!) in april and i find myself constantly saying "well, in JAPAN..." when it comes to just about everything, including bicycles.

in japan, people don't lock their bikes anywhere because there is no theft. the only person who would steal your bike is probably a foreigner. plenty of people bike, and although there are no bike lanes it is an integral part of the culture and drivers and pedestrians are very aware of cyclists.

they have an incredible amount of respect for each other in japan, and i was so disappointed in the way people treated each other in the states upon my return.
jen jafarzadeh said…
I'm up visiting Maine (where my husband's from) and we found two old matching Huffy bikes that used to be his parents' bikes. They were tucked away in the garage and after some air in the tires, they rode pretty well. It was so fun taking them for a ride together — and I'm someone who never really rode a bike much as a kid so I tend to be skiddish about riding bikes. This Madsen bike is my dream bike too. I'd get over my fear fast if it were mine.
Lovely Sunflower said…
Those ones are definitely lovely.
However, Hanover is not the safest place to have a bike. 5 bikes of mines were stolen just during my studies so I stuck to the rule of thumb - never invest more than 20 euros in a bike.
However, if u still want to possess one of those beauties, u ought to have a Hausratversicherung that covers bikes. Locks don't really help much, if someone wants to steal a bike - he'll do it.
I live in a small town in Washington state (founded by many Dutch folks) and we truly use bikes all the time around here. Living in the Pacific Northwest is a little difficult with the precipitation though. I guess what I'm trying to say is...even though I drive a Suburban for the most part(have many children) I am a bicyclist at heart...and would use one more if I could get my hands on one that held kids!!! Please don't put all Americans in the non bike category...we seem to get it a bit more over here in the West.
haus maus said…
Trisha - You may want to go back and read my post, I'm giving my perspective based on my life in New Hampshire in comparison with my life in Germany.
jja said…
I live in big german city and yes bike every day to work and back and my husband too. We also use car sharing. It is nice to ride a bike in this country, since car drivers are teached to protect bikers and by low bikers are very protected species :-)We use helmet all the time, respect traffic rules and love our bikes. Half of my company comes with their bikes to work, although they have some mercedes parked at home.
And yes, is is great for figure too :-).
We have expensive bikes so we insured them extra, for about 10 Euro per month they will pay for out two bikes (each more then 700 euro)if they disappear...
Carolyn said…
How funny. I did a post just yesterday on my blog of me photoshopped with my dog on that same bike. Love it!!
Anonymous said…
Hi there fellow bikers! I loved reading your post and it's so refreshing to know there are so many people who understand the value and enviromental impact biking can have. I live in northern Kentucky in a very farming community. While I own a car, I bike 90% of the time and drive less tham 1000 miles a year. However, I can completely understand the issues some of you guys mention about the traffic in the US. It's such a shame that our country has never embraced biking as a primary means of transportation. Perhaps if gasoline rises as predicted to 4.00 a gallon, I won't be looked at as some crazy middle aged man on his hybrid bike LOL! I would love to live in a "bike friendly area, but I'm afraid in the US we won't see that in my lifetime. We can always hope. Keep biking guys and God bless!

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