Let's ride Berlin

[Clopa]

Hello everyone. I'm from france and i'm going to go to vacation in Berlin next Summer.

I come there too meet the Local fixed scene, to ride together Berlin and the around.

I hope my thread is in the Right category, because i don't speak german at all and i don't really trust google translation. :ka:

I also want to know the good place to go when you are fixed in berlin, to discover people and nice place in relation with bicycle.

I hope you will understand my english and respond to my several question !

 

[Fixpunkt]

AW: Let's ride Berlin

Ah, thats easy! If you really want to be awsome just go to Keirinberlin.de sit there, drink espresso and talk to messengers...

 

[_nico]

AW: Let's ride Berlin

Check

http://fahrtwindberlin.blogspot.com/

Regular Sundayrides, Nightrides and sometimes Alleycats ...

 

[Clopa]

AW: Let's ride Berlin

@ Nico : thx for your answer ! I will check your website to find if there's some ride when we're gonna be in berlin.

Is there some ponctual end-of-the-evenning-ride each week, or a week-end ride ?

For the information, we will stay just a little more than a week, from the 26 of July to the 4th of August.

To finish, do you know some cheap place to sleep, like a youth hostel in the center of berlin or something like that ?

 

[spr1nt]

AW: Let's ride Berlin

http://www.backpackers.de/berlin.html

 

[Clopa]

AW: Let's ride Berlin

Thanks a lot, but i'm almost sure that we can find cheaper than 17euros per night

 

[GerdO]

AW: Let's ride Berlin

Thanks a lot, but i'm almost sure that we can find cheaper than 17euros per night

I am not sure. At least as long as you need a bed and a rooftop.

Tentstation is cheaper.

 

[Clopa]

AW: Let's ride Berlin

Just need a bed, a shower (but not essential ) and a secure area to park our two bikes !

The most important is to meet the fixed gear community of berlin and ride as much as we can. If we can find a bit of beer and some pretty girl, we are no going to dislike it .

Is Berlin a safe town, because we will perhaps be obliged to park our bikes outside if we don't find a youth hostel with a bike park. Is there some neighborhood to avoid ?

 

[eorltheyoung]

AW: Let's ride Berlin

Is Berlin a safe town, because we will perhaps be obliged to park our bikes outside if we don't find a youth hostel with a bike park. Is there some neighborhood to avoid ?

For your personal safety - not really. For the safety of your bike...yes, more than one

 

[GerdO]

AW: Let's ride Berlin

Berlin is quite safe, in comparision with other big towns.

But you shouldn't be too easy with your bike. Allways secure it with a strong U-Lock on a lantern or something. It must not be easy to move. Don't use quick releases on your wheels.

Of course, the hipper regions are were thiefs have a sense for nice bikes.

Police is quite relaxed with bikers, but really, really, really wants you to have 2 (two!) breaks on your bike. If not, they are allowed to (and sometimes do) confiscat your bike.
They also don't like riding on crowded trottoires and might take 100 Euros right out of your wallet for disregarding red traffic lights.

By law you have to use bikeways (most are really shitty) only if they are marked with one of this blue signs.
http://www.adfc-ulm.de/assets/images/599px-Zeichen_237.png
http://www.adfc-ulm.de/assets/images/599px-Zeichen_240.png
http://www.schilder-moedel.de/_Bitmap/gif72g/vz241_31.gif
Problem is: Most car drivers don't know that. They think we have to use all bikeways no matter how bad or dangerous they are. Therefore they honk their horn to make you ride on the bikeway. Stay calm but don't wimp out when this happens.

 

[Clopa]

AW: Let's ride Berlin

Thanks for your awnser. I think we are going to buy two big U lock per bike, such as a little kryptonyte, or a bulldog, to securise the frame and a wheel, and an other for the frame, the wheel and a piece of urban furniture.

Thanks for the advices in relation with the cop. I think it's quite the same in france, no trottoirs, no red light, but I think they are more relaxed with the brake. I think we will both have at least one brake, because we are riding "fast bike", and in a new town is safer !

Our tickets are almost reserved, we just gotta find a place to stay, but there is ton of choice, so it will not be too difficult.

This is a picture of my bike, my first upload on this site :

This is the link for the website of Rennes fixed gear community. Rennes is our town, in the extreme west of france

 

[Fixpunkt]

AW: Let's ride Berlin

For your personal safety - not really.

Depending on the colour of your skin, perhapes its a better idea to avoid for some places like Marzahn. But usually there is no reason gto go there anyway...

Better take your nice bike inside! not in the backyard! also use u-lock for even short stops.
perhapes try couchsurfing...

 

[Clopa]

AW: Let's ride Berlin

I hope we will find a place to park them inside because i've never let him outside more than two hours, but never allnight long ! It's our main criterion for the choice of the youth hostel !

 

[Clopa]

AW: Let's ride Berlin

I've an other question : What is the perfect ratio for Berlin ? Is there many slope or it quite flat ?

 

[BubiBob]

AW: Let's ride Berlin

Maby you got some time: link

 

[laupi]

AW: Let's ride Berlin

you can also try to find some folks who rent rooms of their appartement, check http://www.wg-gesucht.de/ some weeks before comin to berlin..

or try this: http://www.couchsurfing.org/

concerning your other question - berlin is as flat as a pancake! i ride 75" with no problems, but many people may prefer some bigger gearing i think..

best
paul

 

[Clopa]

AW: Let's ride Berlin

Thanks for all your awnser. I've allready thought about couch surfing but we are two and we stay more than a week, so it's gonna be a bit complicated.

I think we are going to rent a small flat, it's gonna be more expensive, but really safer for our bikes and luggage.

@Laupi : What do you mean when you say 75" ? I don't think we use the same way to express the gearing. My way is to divide the number of teeth of the crankset by the number of teeth of the gear, and it give a number between 1 and 4. When you approach 4 it's bigger. For example, my crankset is 52 teeth, my gear is 18, so my gearing/ratio is 2.8. With this way of calculate, what does 75" mean ?

 

[Fixpunkt]

AW: Let's ride Berlin

2.8 in my opinion is a bit tough in the city. there r no hills, but a lot of traffic, trafficlights and bunches of tourists with rented bikes in summer. so better have a faster start than top speed. but if u r used to it... u can also just write a pm when u are here i got some old trackcogs i can give u for your vacation.

 

[Clopa]

AW: Let's ride Berlin

Thanks a lot Fixpunkt. I think i'm going to let my 2.8 gearing, but to take a bigger cog, like a 19 or 20 teeth. I came from a city called Rennes in the extreme west of France and i'm not use to strong traffic of Big town such as Paris or Berlin, but I really don't like to pedal really fast

 

[automatic_sheep]

AW: Let's ride Berlin

For the fixed gear folks the place to meet & greet is http://www.keirinberlin.de, very international crowd a lot of the time. Can do no wrong by going there I s'pose and they also serve some real good coffee .
Also good: http://www.cicli-berlinetta.de/ Tons of other really good bike shops

As has been said, Berlin is pretty darn bike friendly and easy to ride - especially considering other cities of comparable size. Once it's clear exactly when you are here, give a shout out on this forum and in these threads (it's various Berliner groups, mostly roadies but plenty who also ride fixed gear): http://www.rennrad-news.de/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=16 to find people to ride with - shouldn't be a problem at all.