Berlin Bike Infrastructure

Bike infrastructure in Berlin has some different features to that of the US. First, cycle tracks (bike paths) separated from traffic and placed next to the sidewalk are a common feature. Yet, bikes are not always well separated from traffic. For instance, motor vehicles, the tram, and bikes share the same space in the Boxhagener Street (was part of my daily bike commute). In this environment, cars quickly accelerate to pass around bicyclists, which can be a bit intimidating.

There are bike turn lanes and turn-specific signals.

Although pavement paint is not used everywhere, the color red designates space for bicycles. 

Our Berlin Bikes

Peter and I spent the month of October 2013 in Berlin, a very bike-friendly city. Soon after we arrived, we identified MietRadMitte as the first bike rental shop to try to find our bikes for the month. The shop’s website advertised Gazelles for rent with a slogan that would translate as “Elegance on two wheels.” We imagined riding around town on swanky black Gazelles like so many other Berliners.

When we arrived at the small basement-level shop, we were presented with maroon-colored Gazelles for us to rent at a reasonable price. Yet, these maroon Gazelles were not of the same high-quality standard as the ubiquitous black Gazelles. The rental bikes were not as solid, well-built or smooth-riding as one would expect from the Gazelle brand, but they still served their purpose as our main means of transportation and were no embarrassment to ride. The fact that they were used to the point of being a bit rickety just added some character - like a pair of well-worn jeans.

I commuted from our sublet apartment in Friederichshain to my daily German class at the Goethe Institut in Mitte (center of the city), about three miles away. Dutch bikes and my Fjallraven backpack, which I found to be a common item in Berlin, allowed us to better blend into the city’s population and experience the Berliner everyday. 

After five weeks in the saddle of the maroon Gazelle, it was bittersweet to say "tschüss."

Manhattan by Bike

My work producing The Ben Heck Show took me to New York City for the World Maker Faire. Before spending the weekend filming the show and seeing the latest and greatest in the maker movement, Ben and I had a day to explore the city.

After checking out a couple of citibikes, we headed out on a separated bike lane and got to experience the NYC bike infrastructure. The most notable thing about my experience was all the salmons, that is, the bikers and skateboarders going the wrong way on the bike lanes.

Bike Path Foraging: Frost Grapes

Get ready to forage frost grapes! I found shrubs with frost grapes along the Cap City Trail, but am waiting till after the first frost to harvest some, when they are at their most flavorful.  

Click here for some information to help you identify frost grapes. 

A Few of My Favorite Things: Boulder, Bike, & Brew

It may be hard to imagine that I have time for obsessions other than bicycling, but if you get me started on the topic of bouldering, you might want to get comfortable - I could go on and on. Usually, I save my enthusiasm for chats with other climbing gym rats. And as far as beer goes, well, this is Wisconsin.

Boulder, Bike, & Brew is a new monthly event hosted by Boulders Climbing Gym that is a perfect mix of activities. After a bouldering session, a bike brigade heads out to a local bar for some brews - just what you'd expect. So far the event has taken participants to One Barrel Brewing Company and Argus Bar and Grill. This month's ride will be to Genna's Cocktail Lounge.

This event is a great way for the climbing-curious to try bouldering for the first time, as well as for seasoned climbers to nerd out over a beer with kindred spirits.

Check out the Boulder, Bike, & Brew Facebook page for more info and to tune into future rides.

Bike Path Foraging: Elderberries

Elderberries are ripening along the bike path! I set out to find some for an elderberry cobbler recipe and discovered a large bush along the Cap City Trail near Lake Farm County Park.

Elderberry season is late August through early September. The raw berries are astringent and should be cooked before eating. When harvesting, first remove the full berry cluster and then remove the individual berries just before using. Also, only the blue or purple berries are edible - DO NOT eat red berries!

I'm new to foraging elderberries and have never cooked with them, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I found the taste to be pleasant and they mixed well with blueberries in the cobbler.

A basic ethic of foraging is to not take any more than you need. Find a plant guide for elderberries here: http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=sanic4

Personalize Your Bike with DIY Panniers!

I teamed up with a friend to bring you some DIY pannier inspiration. Abigail dreamed up these panniers to suit her everyday needs and personalized them to fit her bike's color scheme. In this video, she shows you the basics of bringing your pannier designs to life.

Summer Biking

From bike camping to commuting, we've enjoyed rolling through the summer days.

Creating a Bionic Bike Bag with Ben Heck

I produce a weekly web-series hosted by the electronics enthusiast Ben Heck. Every week we create new episodes to inspire the engineer and hobbyist community. Usually I stay behind the scenes, but in this episode of The Ben Heck Show, Ben and I work together to create a DIY bike turn signal system.



This is meant as a proof of concept and the basic idea of the turn signals can be modified to look however you like. It doesn't even have to be on a backpack - you could create a system for on the bike and place the switches on the handlebars. Heat up those soldering irons and see what you come up with!

Bike Path Foraging: Black Raspberries

On a recent trip to Mt. Horeb, Peter and I stopped for a fresh snack on the Military Ridge Trail. There were enough ripe black raspberries to munch on, but not quite enough to fill a container to bring home. The bramble had been cut back quite a bit from last year, plus many of the berries were still pink.

Anytime around late July, keep an eye out for a treasure patch of wild black raspberries!