Racing Bike

When I decided to move to Amsterdam, I thought I’d ship my clothing, my bike, a few pieces of kitchen equipment that I really liked (my wok, cutting board, and knives), and my extremely comfortable bed. I soon decided against shipping the bed – it would just be too much of a hassle to transport to an apartment once it arrived via freight. Then I decided that the kitchen equipment could be replaced at a cheaper price than I would have paid for shipping it. Finally, I decided to sell my bike instead of shipping it. In the end, I only brought clothing and a few other items. Everything else I owned was donated or sold.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss many of my old things, especially my bed, my pint glasses, my plants, and (if she can be considered a “thing”) my cat. But the only thing I regret leaving behind at this point is the bike. But I realize now that the hassle and price of shipping it over would probably have been worth how much enjoyment I’d get out of having it here.

Naturally, I wouldn’t be able to ride it to work and back, or around the city. Theft is too much of a threat, especially if your bike is the nicest within a half mile, and road bike tires aren’t optimal for some of the rough and slick roads in the city, nor are they great for crossing the tram tracks. That said, it would be great for the occasional weekend rides that I’d like to take to cities around the Netherlands.

But the bike is about 5000 miles away, so I’ve had to seek alternatives. Instead of buying new or getting something used on marktplaats (a local craigslist/ebay hybrid), I decided to ask the owner of “recycled bicycles” to build me a road bike. This guy builds “new” bikes from existing frames and refurbished parts or new parts. I gave him a budget, and he said he’d build me a racing bike (they call them "racing" bikes here rather than road bikes).

He emailed me yesterday after working on it for a couple of weeks. I went to check it out, and I was initially a little disappointed, since I was comparing it to my former bike. It’s definitely more basic than my old bike. Brake handles are only on the drop handlebars, and shifters are just below the stem rather than on the handlebars. That said, he repainted an old frame and added a bunch of brand new components, including tires, a chain, and both derailleurs.

So we’ll see how it works out when I take my first ride to Haarlem (~15 miles) soon. Maybe I’ll love the bike and the ride. Maybe I’ll decide that I don’t have the time or desire to do weekend rides all that often. Rr maybe I’ll love the ride enough that I decide to upgrade.