Hello everybody!!
At last I've registered to BikeForums.. Over the years I often happened to drop by and read some stuff here and there, but this time I felt I had to join.
First of all I'm not french but danish/dane.. and I live in Paris, France. I have lived some years in Denmark too.. and comparing those 2 countries bikewise ehh... well in Denmark there's bicycle tracks everywhere, and you feel quite secure when riding a bike. Even a 3 in the morning. But in Paris/France wohow
almost no bicycle tracks.. and the few tracks here are actually dangerous (not enough space in width). Worst thing is that the french car-owners are not used to share the road with the bicyclists.. They don't see you in the mirror when they turn, because they don't use the mirror!!
What else- I'm 35 years old, 3 kids, and we are in walking distance from schools and metro/subway station. We have a car but only use it for long-distance trips.
I learned to ride 2-wheeler when I was 3 or 4 but the bike has always been a hobby thing, you know weekends, holidays.. Never sporty/MTB/BMX/cyclocross, never home>job.
More recently I have discovered the upside of biking in the everyday city mess.. I don't know if it's "well i'm in the mid-thirties with kids" or just because I'm fed up with packed subway trains when getting to/from work - but now I'm pretty much decided not to take the subway any more... Not mentioning the car: in Paris at rush hour-just like many other big cities- you're getting there faster by walking than by car!!
Bike(s): now only one, Batavus Intermezzo from 2009, 28" wheels. Nexus 8, hub brakes, and suspension fork. It's too heavy for me.. I plan to sell it and get back to a light 26" MTB w/o suspension but with some city/road tires on (schwalbe maraton supreme...) ... maybe a folder as well.. Not because of the "fold" but because I really dig riding on 20" wheels
I might even find a MTB for 26-24" and put 20" tyres on it, plus some other customization.. I'm 186cm tall so I must fit the bike to my size, can't remember how many inches that is, somewhere between 5 and 7??
As I am in the middle of deep reflexions and doubts and dreaming about this bike change/upgrade, well this forum is the coolest place for me.. Thank you for all for being here!! Ciao