Utilitaire #9 - Community Meeting

I had planned to go to Berliner Fahrrad Schau, a bicycle convention, for a while. One day before the show I was the lucky winner of a ticket giveaway by Bike Blog Berlin! They were hosting the Blogger Lounge there, a perfect #utilitaire Community Meeting to tick off the list.

It was a sunny and quiet ride over to Kreuzberg. I took a new route to cross Berlin-Mitte past Französischer Dom and Checkpoint Charlie. Despite the early hour there were already tourists, armed with cameras, totally oblivious of bike lanes. I need a better bell, one that’s easier to reach, for my Panther…! Glad I got to the convention early, no lines and a cozy couch for my second cup of coffee. Wish there were more people using KeepCups and the likes. There were already piles of paper cups in the trash. 

Plenty of really beautiful bicycles to look at, I think I found my dream bike: A Berlin based bicycle line by one of the most established shops called Paripa. I love the pure design. Will hopefully test ride one this week. I was too busy chatting with a lot of really nice people at the convention such as the Nutcase crew, Chrome, Bookman from Sweden, Electra, Mission Workshop and Bicycle Coffee who came all the way from San Francisco, and Knog.

My favorite finds: Electra coffee cup holder, Mission Workshop’s beautiful bags and jackets, and Bookman with their colorful, tiny, bright & affordable bike lights.

I enjoyed more chats in the Blogger Lounge about upcoming events like Velothon, and a wonderful reading by Elmar Schenkel from his book Cyclomanie, a collection of stories from writers like Mark Twain, Zola, Tolstoi, Beckett, even Goethe, and inspiration they drew from riding bicycles. It also includes fascinating travel reports from cyclists like the first woman who cycled around the world, Annie Londonderry.

I joined a friend for coffee afterwards, rode home in the dark, and was happy about the extra visibility added by my new lights, thanks Bookman!

Oh, and I learned that the English language doesn’t compare Apples & Pears like in German, it is Apples & Oranges! Thanks for the language class, Matthew & Lyle. ;) Can’t wait for Mission Workshop pop-up store opening on Thursday, March 8 on Torstraße 66. Party from 7-11pm. Bicycle Coffee Tasting March 22 1-4pm. See you there!

More pics on Flickr.