Fahrrad fahren

This post is going to mainly about one thing and that is biking. Or in German “Fahrrad fahren”. Since the weather is getting warmer here I have started to bike more places. This includes biking to German class every morning.  First of all let me start out by telling you a little about my bike. I got it for free from a woman whose father passed away and she didn’t want it anymore. I have a sweet basket on it as well. The seat is a little low for me and squeaky at times and the backward pedal brake doesn’t work. Other than those things, it is a great ride. Here are some things that I have come to know about biking in Germany (you would think it wouldn’t be that complicated, but I guess I never biked in America so maybe I didn’t notice all the “rules”): 

1.       There is a bike lane that is painted red here. If you are walking in the bike lane you will get ran over. Literally. Or if they will repeatedly ring their bell at you until you move. If you want to die, walk in the bike lane.

How cool is this foldable bike! I really want one!

2.       The Bike Bell: this is important because of what I mentioned before. See I feel rude to ring a bell at a person so I either go around or bike slowly behind them until they move. I have been informed that this is worse and ruder. It is the polite thing to tell someone to move out of your way. Partly I avoid using mine because it sounds like a dying cat, which is a little embarrassing.

3.       The passing rule: I have no idea what side I am supposed to pass on, so I always just go as fast as I can and ride on the people walk way. People probably think I am really rude, but when I think I am being polite, I am most likely doing just the opposite

4.       My friend got a ticket for not having a bike light at 12pm in the afternoon. How can you even tell if someone’s light is working? I got lucky because I use to bike home every night from training without a light until my host mom bought me one because she was worried I would get hit.

5.       I don’t understand how people like biking because it hurts my butt, and what makes me even madder is that every day when I bike to German everyone passes me and I am pedaling so fast it seems. I swear I am pedaling faster, but they are moving faster. This is NOT logical. Then I switch mine to a higher gear and it’s like my quads are about to rip. Either EVERY biker has crazy strong quads or my bike SUCKS. Maybe there is a biking trick I am unaware of.

6.       I still haven’t figured out if I am more like a car or a human on my bike. For example, when I am biking down the side of a busy road and it’s a red light, but there is no reason for me to not go do I need to sit at a red light? Or can I bike through it? I usually just pretend I am a human when it is convenient.

7.       I actually love biking on busy roads because I feel like a race car driver. Even though I am going WAY slower. It is just so freeing and I guess it is the closest I get to driving over here, which I really miss right now. Germans are really safe too, so I never really worry about a bus side swiping me or anything. Sometimes people have to slam on their brakes, but I think they would get in more trouble than me. I guess I would get more hurt, but I don’t worry.

If only rollerblading was the equivalent of biking in Berlin. Imagine if we lived in a rollerblading society and instead of hoping on your bike to go to work or school, you strapped on your blades. I would LOVE this. Maybe there is a city where rollerblading is the popular thing to do. It is crazy to me how in certain cities it is not the cool thing to do. Whereas in college in Des Moines we rollerbladed everywhere and I then I visited my friend in Madison and she said that NOBODY rollerblades. I guess whatever. That’s all for this post. Doesn’t give much of an update, but at least now if you visit you know the biking dos and don’ts.