One of the facets I loved most about Bonn, Germany, was its deeply-rooted bicycle culture. This culture was developed in many ways. First, obtaining a driver's license in Germany costs about 3,000 Euros. Secondly, the weather is decent most of the year there. Third, they teach bicycle skills and safety from toddlerhood onward. Fourth, the layout of the city is designed with bicycles in mind through crosswalks, bike lanes, bike racks, and more. I'd love to take a short post here to share with you my favorite bicycle moments I witnessed in my 10 days in Bonn. I truly wish my small town could adopt this way of life, but I'm sure that's just wishful thinking. -- Almost every teacher I shadowed at the primary school cycled to work each morning. -- Business professionals could be seen every morning, in their dress clothes, riding to work. Therefore, most adults wore tennis shoes all day, even with their dress clothes, and it was totally acceptable. One of my travel mates even mentioned, during our first few days, how impressive it was that German women were so skilled at riding a bicycle in a dress. -- One morning, while I waited for the bus by myself, I was watching the traffic flow. A giant wave of working professionals came around the bend as the stoplight changed. Imagine Tour de France but with every day people. That one second perfectly summarized how deep the bike culture truly is in Bonn. -- The next morning, I watched a working mother pedaling down the street bike lane while her small six-year-old pedaled parallel to her on the sidewalk. It was impressive to see how they mirrored each other, and she was so clearly but silently modeling and teaching through their morning commute in such a safe manner. -- I never knew so many child carrier designs existed until my week in Bonn. I saw children on the back of the bike in a high-backed seat much like what I saw in the US in the 80's and 90s. I saw only a few tagalong carriers behind bikes. But I was far more surprised by the front seats sitting directly in front of the parent's chest as well as the giant wooden boxes on the front wheel that held children and groceries. -- Another adorable bicycle learning moment I walked by was one evening after dinner. The sidewalks are fairly empty that time of day. I passed two dads walking about 10 paces behind their three-year-old who was learning to ride on a pedal-less strider bike. He was clearly gaining independence and skill through their nightly neighborhood stroll. -- One of my German acquaintances informed me she owns three bicycles -- her nice, expensive daily one, one with better cargo storage, and a third run-down option to leave at train stations for her extended trips. -- Bicycle skill competitions and obstacle courses are a regular part of primary school in Germany. They encourage very skilled riding abilities as a necessary life skill. -- The trains have entire compartments dedicated to bike riders with wider doors and foldable seats, so commuters can easily stow their bikes as they take the train on a farther journey. -- Crosswalk ground markings and signal lights have both pedestrian paths and cyclist space separate from each other because both traffic flows are busy enough that they each need dedicated space separate from each other and vehicles.
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AuthorSophie -- a teacher, mother, wife, traveler, reader, camper, and Mizzou Tiger Archives
July 2022
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