Posted 1 year ago

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bike bike bike bike bike: I gave myself until March to find a bike, since I had a month bus pass for February and it was probably too cold (for me) to ride a bike in February anyway. All of the other exchange students who have bikes stole them, and encourage me to “find” a bike. I told my friend Clement that I just *couldn’t*, and I’d had bikes stolen before and knew it felt just terrible. He said no, Danish people love getting their bikes stolen! I didn’t believe him, although several Danish people have told me that if a bike is locked, someone cares about it„ and if not, it’s more of a community bike that I could take and then leave somewhere when I go home. Maybe this is me stubbornly hanging on to American culture, but I just can’t bring myself to do it. I did try to buy a bike: I went to the police bike auction 2 weeks ago, but it was a bit intimidating and I couldn’t tell what condition any of the bikes were in… Since then I’ve been looking at the classifieds on dba.dk, but they’re so in Danish! I decided that if I didn’t get a bike through other means, I would rent one. It’s not the best deal (700 kr for the semester) and it seems awfully unauthentic (as far as the living in denmark experience), but I figure that there’s not much time left that I’ll be a student, and so I might as well take advantage of the things people do to make it easier! A guarantee of a bike in good condition (with a lock and lights) that I wouldn’t have to deal with at the end of the semester was quite tempting. But then, lo and behold, I got an email yesterday saying that a (fellow) bartender at Studenterhuset was going home to Italy and selling his bike. Turns out, he lives just a couple blocks from me, by the planetarium, so today I went over and bought his bike! He asked for 700 kroner, since that’s what he paid for it (+ a lock!), but I gave him 600 kr (about $110 these days). Not that I know how much bikes cost or how much this bike should cost or anything. The bike seems a little junky, but it rides well and most bikes in Denmark seem a little junky and dammit, I’m a poor student, so it’s fitting. 600 kroner in various units: 1 monthly bus pass in Copenhagen 80% of a fine for riding the S-train w/out a ticket 15 chai lattes from Baresso 33 chai lattes from Starbucks (27.5 w/ tip) 1 week of rent in Copenhagen

bike bike bike bike bike:

I gave myself until March to find a bike, since I had a month bus pass for February and it was probably too cold (for me) to ride a bike in February anyway.

All of the other exchange students who have bikes stole them, and encourage me to “find” a bike. I told my friend Clement that I just *couldn’t*, and I’d had bikes stolen before and knew it felt just terrible. He said no, Danish people love getting their bikes stolen! I didn’t believe him, although several Danish people have told me that if a bike is locked, someone cares about it„ and if not, it’s more of a community bike that I could take and then leave somewhere when I go home. Maybe this is me stubbornly hanging on to American culture, but I just can’t bring myself to do it.

I did try to buy a bike: I went to the police bike auction 2 weeks ago, but it was a bit intimidating and I couldn’t tell what condition any of the bikes were in… Since then I’ve been looking at the classifieds on dba.dk, but they’re so in Danish! I decided that if I didn’t get a bike through other means, I would rent one. It’s not the best deal (700 kr for the semester) and it seems awfully unauthentic (as far as the living in denmark experience), but I figure that there’s not much time left that I’ll be a student, and so I might as well take advantage of the things people do to make it easier! A guarantee of a bike in good condition (with a lock and lights) that I wouldn’t have to deal with at the end of the semester was quite tempting.

But then, lo and behold, I got an email yesterday saying that a (fellow) bartender at Studenterhuset was going home to Italy and selling his bike. Turns out, he lives just a couple blocks from me, by the planetarium, so today I went over and bought his bike! He asked for 700 kroner, since that’s what he paid for it (+ a lock!), but I gave him 600 kr (about $110 these days). Not that I know how much bikes cost or how much this bike should cost or anything. The bike seems a little junky, but it rides well and most bikes in Denmark seem a little junky and dammit, I’m a poor student, so it’s fitting.

600 kroner in various units:
1 monthly bus pass in Copenhagen
80% of a fine for riding the S-train w/out a ticket
15 chai lattes from Baresso
33 chai lattes from Starbucks (27.5 w/ tip)
1 week of rent in Copenhagen