Ahoy from Prague!
10-18-14, 06:21 AM
#1
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Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Prague, Czech Republic
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Bikes: Favorit F1, Motobecane 650b, Eska
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Ahoy from Prague!
Unlike other major european cities, Prague is not known as a hot spot for cyclists. It's full of cars with bad humored drivers inside, steep hills and, in the old town, cobblestones. Until recently, bikes where primarily used for sports, not as means of daily transport.
Luckily things are changing quite a bit lately, and you can see more and more "norrmal people" riding their bikes to work, school, shopping or wheresoever. There is a whole new bike (sub)culture emerging with repair shops, cafés (Bajkazyl.cz), vintage stores, rebuilding businesses. And it's not only the hipsters behind the change...
Anyway, I, too, have caught the virus and, after not having used a bike for over 20 years, am gradually turning into a cycling fanatic - my gilfriend actually uses a more dramatic term ;-) What fascinates me most are old (steel frame) street bikes, especially from the former communist east block, like Czechoslovakia and East Germany.
There's still a lot of beautifully maintained stuff around and I am constantly feeding my hunger for steel by adding new pieces to the collection. Some of the bikes I will use in the vintage bike rental (Bikerentals.cz) I'm planning to start in spring 2015. Others I will keep for myself and not expose to the cobblestones of Prague - it's really tough, especially for old racing bikes.
Luckily things are changing quite a bit lately, and you can see more and more "norrmal people" riding their bikes to work, school, shopping or wheresoever. There is a whole new bike (sub)culture emerging with repair shops, cafés (Bajkazyl.cz), vintage stores, rebuilding businesses. And it's not only the hipsters behind the change...
Anyway, I, too, have caught the virus and, after not having used a bike for over 20 years, am gradually turning into a cycling fanatic - my gilfriend actually uses a more dramatic term ;-) What fascinates me most are old (steel frame) street bikes, especially from the former communist east block, like Czechoslovakia and East Germany.
There's still a lot of beautifully maintained stuff around and I am constantly feeding my hunger for steel by adding new pieces to the collection. Some of the bikes I will use in the vintage bike rental (Bikerentals.cz) I'm planning to start in spring 2015. Others I will keep for myself and not expose to the cobblestones of Prague - it's really tough, especially for old racing bikes.
Last edited by GioPrg; 10-18-14 at 09:28 AM.
10-18-14, 08:09 AM
#3
Tractorlegs
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: El Paso, TX
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Hi GioPrg! Welcome to the community!
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Trikeman
Trikeman
10-18-14, 09:31 AM
#4
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Kalamazoo MI
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Welcome to Bike Forums
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