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The Beautiful Bike - detail 1
bicycle front plate
Amsterdam, Netherlands
2008
I spent a month in a guest apartment in Amsterdam. My generous host also gave me the use of a bike, and let me tell you; biking around Amsterdam is maybe the funnest thing ever. The city is almost entirely flat, you can traverse its length in about 25 minutes, and everyone -- car drivers, tram drivers, pedestrians -- understands that you, the bicyclist, are king of the road. I can't fathom why anyone would drive a car in Amsterdam; it's obviously the slowest and least efficient way to get around town.
After a week of using my host's bike, it was stolen. Broad daylight, from in front of the new public library.
A not uncommon occurrence in Amsterdam. As my Dutch friend put it: "Eventually you realize you have to buy a chain worth at least half as much as the bike."
Nevertheless, I had to buy my host a new bike. We went to the shop around the corner and to his credit he selected a cheap refurbished vintage one. The shop owner estimated it to be from around 1965. One of the hardest things about returning to the States was having to leave this behind.
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Uploaded on Jun 22, 2008
The Beautiful Bike - detail 2
The Beautiful Bike - detail 3
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China, 2005
The Netherlands
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