Berlin...I'd live there in a minute!!

[Gez73]

Not sure about the choice of clothes but there seemed to be a far more leisurely approach to getting around than we are used to here. They could still move at a decent pace but seemed to be doing it with ease. No idea on the rules of the road, we struggled with a lot of that when there but there was far more tolerance from everyone to everyone else. Utopia for a cyclist in terms of attitude and facilities. Very different to what I'll be enduring next week when back in work!

 

[thedatastream]

If the pedestrian crossings had a guy with a hat, then that's the former East Berlin.

The Ampelmann is a bit of a design classic: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampelmännchen

You get extra points if you find one of the crossings where it's an Ampelmann on one side of the road and the boring West German green man on the other side.

 

[Gez73]

Yes that design is quite an icon. There's a whole shop dedicated to it. We bought some bits there as you do when abroad!

 

[John90]

IME it's not just Berlin, the same applies throughout mainland Europe.
The vast majority of cyclists are utility cyclists, average speeds tend to be lower than UK city cyclists, with no competitive element whatsoever, so normal clothing is adequate.

Based on Copenhagen and Stockholm, this appears to be true. Very few road bikes in evidence and the dedicated cycle paths coupled with large numbers of cyclists make it impossible to attain any significant speed. I suspect that if we introduced European attitudes to cycling in the UK we (cyclists) would also have to go through a culture shift and I'm not sure we'd all be comfortable with it.

 

[snorri]

I suspect that if we introduced European attitudes to cycling in the UK we (cyclists) would also have to go through a culture shift and I'm not sure we'd all be comfortable with it.

Yes indeed, that topic is worth a thread of its own.

 

[Glow worm]

IME it's not just Berlin, the same applies throughout mainland Europe.
The vast majority of cyclists are utility cyclists, average speeds tend to be lower than UK city cyclists, with no competitive element whatsoever, so normal clothing is adequate.

Owning not one stitch of lycra, that sounds ideal to me!
I caught a short piece on the radio yesterday about cycling in Berlin that was quite interesting. More grim comparisons with the UK, in particular London. Oddly though, the correspondent labels cyclists in London as largely 'eco-zealots' which seemed rather odd, (as well as plain daft). Anyway, you can catch it here and the cycling piece begins at 22:15.

 

[jonny jeez]

I spent a couple of weeks in Koln about 9 years ago, I travelled through Berlin and the surrounding wine fields, etc...all lovely.

But as I was a non city rider at the time and so i cant say I even noticed the infrastructure. Funny how your appreciations change.

 

[CopperBrompton]

If you enjoyed Berlin, try Copenhagen next then Amsterdam. :-)