Thanks to the hard work & lovely support of the fine folks at Slow Travel Berlin, my first Berlin cycling tour is officially listed on Gidsy. The first two dates of park cruising are planned for next week.
So check your calendars, head over to Gidsy and book your spot for the 3 Parks Cycling Tour. More dates are available upon request.
Join me for a tour I’ve been working on but haven’t shared with anyone yet.
It covers three distinctly different parks in Prenzlauer Berg and Friedrichshain. Please bring your bike and about 2 hours of time. There will be cobblestones, some hilly terrain, and unpaved paths.
Tour ends on Heinrich-Roller-Str/Prenzlauer Allee - and, if you like, a drink & chat at Café Hilde on Metzer Str/Prenzlauer Allee afterwards.
Meeting Point: 6pm at Zeiss Planetarium - Prenzlauer Allee 80 - 10405 Berlin
Please email me or leave a comment to reserve your spot, thanks!
Getting on the highway was the trickiest part of Fahrradsternfahrt. Bicycle traffic jam at entry to Autobahn in Neukölln.
Berlin’s apartment buildings usually offer a “yellow ton”, die “Gelbe Tonne” to their tenants. Mine doesn’t since it used to be filled with anything other than what’s supposed to go in there. So once a month or so I get on my bike with a huge yellow bag and take it to a Recyclinghof nearby. Always a fun trip, and rolling into the yard by bike seems to be a rare sight for workers there.
Today I noticed the rules of recycling when driving there by car.
First step: “Turn off engine”. Second step: “Close doors quietly”.
Talking about recycling: I have closed the Meetup group and moved it over to Twitter & Facebook for future rides, Kaffeeklub & get-togethers.
This Sunday, May 13, 2012 - starting at 10.30am!
Let’s go “coffeeneuring” to celebrate Global Women’s Cycling Day! Women, children, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters & friends, EVERYONE is invited
Starting at Café CK in Prenzlauer Berg I am planning stops at some of my favorite coffee shops: The Barn in Mitte, Chapter One Coffee in Kreuzberg, Katie’s Blue Cat in Neukölln, and tacos at Ta’Cabron Taqueria in Kreuzberg will top it all off.
Don’t like coffee? All places also serve tea, soft-drinks, and delicious pies, pastries, cereal or hearty sandwiches.
Feel free to join us somewhere along the route. Best to tweet me @bbybike for schedule that day. Twitter hashtag #cyclofemme.
Please bring cameras so we can take pics & shoot videos to share with the worldwide CycloFemme community, thanks!
…I just ride my bike everywhere. And that sometimes means at least 30 minutes of pedaling for going from A to B in this city.
This article I read this morning resonates with me in so many ways. But especially the topic named “We don’t have time to compensate” is what makes cycling so important to me: I don’t “exercise”, I don’t like gyms, I don’t like running, but I like to walk, and love to cycle.
I wish more people would understand that simply riding their bike to work instead of driving or taking public transport - especially in a city like Berlin - would save them tons of time (and money).
Like time to stretch your legs and enjoy sitting in the park you’ve just discovered.
Last week’s first #kaffeeklub was so much fun that I’ve decided to make it a weekly gathering. Simply show up anytime from 8-10am, get a coffee or other beverage, and sit down for a chat with us. There might only be standing room this week though since The Barn is a small, very popular & wonderful coffee shop in Mitte, and makes the best coffee & scones.
I have started a Facebook page for Berlin by Bike to announce #kaffeeklub, rides, and more since I won’t be using Meetup anymore in a few months. So please “like” the page, or follow me on Twitter for updates and fun things to do.
This Sunday I rode to Slow Travel Berlin’s event at Markthalle IX in Kreuzberg. Tons of delicious, local, organic food, workshops in photography and sewing, various Berlin themed walking tours, book stalls, and an overall wonderful atmosphere. Hopefully there will be more markets, especially food related! Food, good food, healthy, local, and organic food is what’s very important to me and I am happy and proud to announce that I’ve joined Dickes Bee Food Coop. Excited to meet all the Bees tomorrow at their weekly Wednesday food pick-up!
P.S. Have I told you about my beautiful new bike? Here’s a sneak peek:
When I started this blog and related Meetup group I was aiming at building a community of people who love to ride their bikes. And who also like to meet like-minded people, get together for i.e. coffee, dinner, and explore the city by bike.
The first two Meetups didn’t have good attendance. I am not sure why, but maybe having to RSVP, etc. is too much of a commitment? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts about it.
So, since I’ve been playing with the idea for a while, I am now trying a new & more “casual” approach besides the Meetups:
A weekly “Kaffeeklub”! The first one is on Thursday, April 19 at Café CK in Prenzlauer Berg from 8-10am. I’m hoping to see you & more people commuting to work or riding their bicycles in the morning for coffee (or tea,…), a chat, and to hopefully start building a strong community of car-free urban life lovers.
I would also love it if you could spread the word, bring your friends,…Twitter hashtag is #kaffeeklub. No RSVP needed, just swing by!
The following Kaffeeklub will be at The Barn in Mitte. More details closer to the date.
Inspiration for bicycle related coffee (& brunch) clubs:
#FridayCoffeeClub in Washington, D.C. - here’s the link to Twitter
Women Who Bike Brunch by Let’s Go Ride a Bike
…is the Twitter hashtag for the third round of 30 Days of Biking, starting April 1st.
There’s only one rule: “Bike somewhere every day for 30 days - around the block, 20 miles to work, whatever suits you - then share your adventures online.”
30 Days of Biking is the brainchild of Patrick Stephenson and Zachariah Schaap, read their story here, register (free of charge), and join in on the fun.
I am especially happy about this next fun & challenging bike community event since the Winter Cycling Challenge: The Utilitaire 12 is nearing its end.
See you on Twitter, I am looking forward to everyone’s posts.
Beautiful 30 Days of Biking poster art by Adam Turman. Check Facebook event page for purchase info which should be up soon.
It’s finally getting warmer! We still had snow this week and a morning with black ice - the roads were fine, but the sidewalks were dangerous! - but now there’s only gravel and puddles of dirt left.
Tuesday night I rode to the library, it was snowing and dark, and I am really happy about the lights on my bike. Front and rear end light stay on for a few minutes when not moving. Here’s a picture of the Panther parked at the library. I couldn’t get a library card because the computers of all branches all over Berlin were down but they were nice enough to let me borrow a book anyways. Afterwards I treated myself to my favorite dish at the best Vietnamese restaurant in town, Thuy Nga.
Busy week at work with everyone around sneezing and coughing. My body decided to wait for the weekend to get sick. Saturday was spent at home, but I had read about a coffee place in my neighborhood serving pancakes, and I just had to try them today. A really cute place with comfy chairs, a perfect Flat White and the most deliciously fluffy pancakes with fresh fruit and maple syrup. Thank you, Café CK!
I won’t be able to afford the pancakes on a daily base, but I’ll definitely return for some early morning coffee. It is a perfect distance for a quick morning ride before work, even if I have to work an early shift. Plus, they carry KeepCups. I didn’t grab one this morning, but will soon. This video made me fall in love with the company. A coffee shop with indoor bicycle parking!
