Wilkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome?

[aldus]

New ebike/folder owner as of yesterday, a Victoria eFolder 7.4.

An American living in Leipzig and adjusting to the craziness of Leipzig cycling. I always thought that the Germans appreciated a little bit of order, but the way a lot of people ride here in the Zentrum suggests otherwise! Cycling as a contact sport?

Somewhat surprised by the UK-bias here on the forums, but having lived in London for 5 months, you certainly have a good perspective on cycle-commuting compared to that of the US, though some places, like Portland, Oregon, or Bellingham, Washington are pretty wonderful "bike" towns.

 

[mjr]

When I've been in Germany, it looked like there is order - more so than the Netherlands where there are basic parameters but often someone doing strange illegal shoot and expecting everyone else to deal with it (which they seem to!). It just takes some spotting what the rules are. I expect they're written down somewhere. Is there really much contact? I've not seen that but I've not ridden in eastern Germany yet.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Why surprised by a UK bias on a cycling forum primarily in English and created by a Brit?

 

[aldus]

Why surprised by a UK bias on a cycling forum primarily in English and created by a Brit?

English isn't just spoken in the UK; indeed, I'm doing my part to see that it's spoken elsewhere. The Internet is still pretty international, too, so I tend to take a rather international perspective.

I promise not to make Boris Johnson jokes so long as you don't remind about what's happening in Washington, DC. :P

 

[Ming the Merciless]

English isn't just spoken in the UK; indeed, I'm doing my part to see that it's spoken elsewhere. The Internet is still pretty international, too, so I tend to take a rather international perspective.

I promise not to make Boris Johnson jokes so long as you don't remind about what's happening in Washington, DC. :P

Well duh, yes it's the most widely spoken second language. But you are missing the point about whom the site was founded by and whom the initial members were. All Brits. The initial members of anything tends to generate a bias even after all this time. Like attracts like. Besides given the choice many prefer to converse in their first language. English internet sites are in a minority.

 

[Slick]

English isn't just spoken in the UK; indeed, I'm doing my part to see that it's spoken elsewhere. The Internet is still pretty international, too, so I tend to take a rather international perspective.

I promise not to make Boris Johnson jokes so long as you don't remind about what's happening in Washington, DC. :P

To be honest, anyone from outside these shores is a welcome relief. An American living and commuting in Germany must have a number of interesting experiences to share.

 

[aldus]

Well duh, yes it's the most widely spoken second language. But you are missing the point about whom the site was founded by and whom the initial members were. All Brits. The initial members of anything tends to generate a bias even after all this time. Like attracts like. Besides given the choice many prefer to converse in their first language. English internet sites are in a minority.

Of course — this is, as is often said in the US, not my first rodeo. I just hadn't been able to find a good history of the forum yet. I used to be a member of several forums dedicated to the care and feeding of a certain brand of SUVs from the UK. The population of most of them was from the US, even though everything about the vehicles, their eccentricities, sourcing parts was overwhelmingly British. With one of the forums, it was actually difficult to tell that it was started by Americans.

Not a big deal, just more of a matter of perspective. I guess it was because I started searching in earnest for a folding eBike after arriving in Germany, so I started researching and that was how I found this forum. But many of the bikes I was finding here were not being seen/reviewed/discussed mainly brands that I'd seen or knew to be available in the UK. I'd already started looking at regular folders when I was in the UK, just before I left for Germany.

As I said, I tried to take an international perspective... BTW, the other two most widely spoken languages are Mandarin and Spanish... es verdad!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

You're teaching us to suck eggs here. Doesn't everyone take an international perspective? It's natural here in Europe.

 

[aldus]

To be honest, anyone from outside these shores is a welcome relief. An American living and commuting in Germany must have a number of interesting experiences to share.

... it's been an adventure, ESPECIALLY after my stay in the UK, by way of France! I'm less expat and more immigrant, so I'm making ti a point to try and engage locally as much as I can. My university German is returning slowly, my French-Swedish partner has started taking German lessons so she'll be more comfortable when she's here, and yes, being in a country where credit cards are still looked upon with considerable suspicion (I had to pay CASH for the Victoria!), there are already a number of "interesting" experiences!

 

[aldus]

You're teaching us to suck eggs here. Doesn't everyone take an international perspective? It's natural here in Europe.

Ja, aber mein Deutsch ist nicht das Gelb vom Ei, speaking of eggs. Not really — I can't see your profile so I don't know where your from and when I see "Yukon" I think of my four years next door in Fairbanks, Alaska.

I wish everyone really did take an international perspective. It's anything but prevalent in the US...

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Ja, aber mein Deutsch ist nicht das Gelb vom Ei, speaking of eggs. Not really — I can't see your profile so I don't know where your from and when I see "Yukon" I think of my four years next door in Fairbanks, Alaska.

I wish everyone really did take an international perspective. It's anything but prevalent in the US...

Yukon is the name of a bike I owned when I joined.

I am from Earth, Solar System, Milky Way, Universe if that helps you understand what my perspective is. I've roamed and lived on every continent on this planet. I have a pretty balanced view of life on this blue dot.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Hi @aldus and welcome to CC!
We do have several overseas members, but yes, CC has mostly UK members.
I think the reason is the topics: indeed, when I found the forum many years ago, I was searching for a cycling topic specifically within the UK.
Obviously, I needed to find out how UK cyclists dealt with my UK cycling problem
Enjoy the forums!

 

[Slick]

... it's been an adventure, ESPECIALLY after my stay in the UK, by way of France! I'm less expat and more immigrant, so I'm making ti a point to try and engage locally as much as I can. My university German is returning slowly, my French-Swedish partner has started taking German lessons so she'll be more comfortable when she's here, and yes, being in a country where credit cards are still looked upon with considerable suspicion (I had to pay CASH for the Victoria!), there are already a number of "interesting" experiences!

I'm looking forward to hearing about them on the forum. 👍

 

[aldus]

I'll probably be hanging out in the ebike and folder section!

 

[Slick]

I'll probably be hanging out in the ebike and folder section!

Not much of an ebike man but Mrs Slick has a cracking little Bergamot Horizon and she absolutely loves it.