There are bikes to rent at larger train stations. Uniform and boring and unloved. Deutsche Bahn wants passengers to use these bicycles instead of cluttering up trains with their own. But I have a wonderful bike, fitted to my needs and my size, I don’t want to ride a generic bike that has no e-assistance and is too large for me. And even if Deutsche Bahn makes it difficult with limited space in the wagons, with uneven levels between trains and platforms, with broken or non-existent elevators (and believe me it is hard work to haul a 23kg bike up a long flight of stairs), I want to ride MY bicycle. Oh my, this turned into a minor rant, I think (and don’t even get me started on people who rely on wheelchairs!).

This on the other hand is a bike that is loved. It’s stored on the balcony on the 9th floor of a dorm in Prague. The student obviously wants his bike close-by and safe even if it is a major schlep considering the small, old, creaky elevators in the building.

And this is the new bike autobahn between Frankfurt and Darmstadt (only completed in stages yet). Every 5 or so kilometres there is a bike station which provides shelter from the rain, air for flat tires and tools to do minor repairs. And the path itself is a wide lane exclusive for bicycles to entice more commuters to leave their cars at home. Wynora Rider, my trusted steed, approves wholeheartedly – and wishes there would be more such bike ways soon.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Bicycles or Motorcycles