Help Wanted!

Hi,
due to my current occupation, this blog does not get the attention it deserves. If you live in Munich and if you are interested in cycling, urban transportation and style: PLEASE HELP by posting here from time to time. We don't have any financial interests this is purely idealistic and fun!

Ich bestehe übrigens nicht auf Englische Posts - irgenwie fällt es mir nur leichter :).

Contact me at: contact(at)munichcyclechic(dot)com

I like! Retrovelo Otto.

Upcoming events - mark the week of May 16-21st

Lots going on in bike friendly Munich. As part of the city's 'Radlhauptstadt' campain there are multiple events that you don't want to miss!

16th – 21st May: Bikeshow

Bikes are the heros of this week:

- Discounts and promotions at bikeshops

- Activity-Days:

- Monday: Security trainings with the police, bike-safety-checks

- Tuesday: Transportation-bikes / Cargo-bikes

- Wednesday: Sports and Fun

- Thursday: E-bikes, special bikes for senior citizens

- Friday: Recreation, bike-acrobatics, biketours across Munich

21st May: Munich Cycling Star, Bike Fashion Show, Bikenight

The highlight of the season:

- The „Munich Cycling Star 2011“ will be nominated together with Radio Charivari.

- From Haute Couture to Lifestyle: The masterschool for Fashion & Design teams up with local

fashion designers and presents fashion on and with bikes.

- Bikenight on the ring road, supported by AOK health insurance

Check out the flyer here or go to the radlhauptstadt web site for more info.

This bike made me smile...

I am sure the owner is quite a character...


And yes the photos I take using Hipstamatic on the iphone are not exactly framed as I wanted them. I keep trying :) (EDIT) Thanks for pointing out the viewfinder mode in hipstamatic. Precision framing helps!

Zip in the city

May I introduce: the bike that was formerly known as my 'winter' bike. It is a repainted 80's MTB frame, singlespeed with white industries ENO eccentric hub, white industries freewheel, Magura HS33 rim brakes, SON Edelux light and BMX handlebars and crankbrothers 5050 platform pedals. We built it so that nothing would ever freeze. I had Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro on all-winter. Last week-end I managed to finally put Schwalbe Kojaks on for summer. Now my 'winter' bike transformed into my favorite city-zipper. Due to the thighs that I have developed during the winter moving the bike with spikes, I will have to upgrade the chainwheel in front to get a higher gear ratio. The Kojaks just fly like crazy and I find myself pedalling at 90+ rpm all the time :) I have to admit that the bike was inspired by the Retrovelo Otto, which I could not afford to buy just for winter :).

Enough bike porn (for today).

"Call a bike" iPhone app put to the test.

Finally there was a chance to try out DB's "Call a bike" offering here in Munich. I needed to head to my doctor and was sure that I need to take a taxi home. DB has created a pretty slick App for the iPhone, which can be used to locate and rent the famous rental bikes.

Rental is pretty straight forward: You locate the bike closest to you, walk there (a block in my case) enter the id of the bike, get the opening code, unlock the bike using the code and off you go. To turn it back in the procedure is reversed, you get the lock confirmation code, type it into the app, specify the exact location and you are done. All in all it does not take much longer than unlocking one of my bikes. The 15 min ride to my doc cost around an Euro (the app will report the price straight away) The price drops by the time you rent, but for a short ride this is pretty decent compared to the 2.20€ for the U-Bahn.
Overall pretty cool. The only two things that I did not like so much: the bikes have full suspension, which feels a bit like a Camel ride on tarmac - and after the ride I felt I want to wash my hands (which is a good idea anyways). If you rent a bike and you have a chance, all you co-rental folks will appreciate if you wash your fingers if you had fries before. :) But I am exaggerating here, it wasn't really bad.

I have been to Kaiserslautern yesterday and was quite pleased to see that there are 5 bikes waiting to be taken for a ride in front of the main station, although I did not have a chance to rent one.

Spring (soon)

Enough of the cold - it should be spring soon, winter is (almost) gone and the new bike season is just starting for everybody.

Here is Florian trucking some new Christiania transporters from storage to his store. Looks like Munich is finally realizing that transport bikes are way cool...

Ha! I almost forgot...

...that I started this. :) Last year was quite a busy year and the company I work for was trying to not bore me, which is a gentle formulation of keeping me really busy. That being said, I have recently been given a brand new iphone 4 which has quite an ok camera for blogging and I have realized that I must be doing other things again than work - so I'll post again from time to time.

Here is a photo of my dear Bullitt covered in snow. Luckily I was offered some warm place to keep it warm by Florian - so it is still well an not rusty. It still beams me through the city without issue. It is the only blue one in Munich so far - so if you see me passing by (if you are quick enough) you are very welcome to say hello :).
This has been the first year when I did not stop riding over winter. My dear friend Jan has helped me to build a winter bike: 80's MTB frame, singlespeed w. Magura rim brakes (so nothing freezes) and BMX Handlebar and Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro. I have to say that I can only STRONGLY RECOMMEND riding with spikes in winter. It is pretty noisy on one side but the grip makes you forget about snow and ice totally. Ice Spiker Pro is totally overdone for the city, but they look just downright bad-ass on the MTB frame :). The only problem is that when you stop you have to put your feet down, which on black ice may still be an issue. :)

Radl-Night in Munich!

As many of you have realized - I have been lazy! Not really though as I am currently being stressed by my allergies going crazy. So I spend the evening indoors with a serious headache rather than joining the Munich bike community outside. Nevertheless I want to link to the event coverage available.
Sueddeutsche.de: More
Münchner Merkur: Read
Abendzeitung: Read
The official page: radlhauptstadt.de and the video on youtube

Velocompany Store - now open!

After serious renovation the former fur store at Barerstr. 74 has turned into a hotspot for urban mobility. It has been a long way but finally and just in time for spring the store has finally opened! Velocompany has specialized in transport bikes for people with kids and/or other heavy-weight requirements. If you ever dreamed of getting rid of your car - or simply if you finally realize you only need it to drive to the mountains or lakes - here is the place to go. Florian is selling all well known cargo brands from Nihola, Christiana, Workcycles, Winther and most important Larryvsharry. For me the store is just around the corner :) - but I am sure people will come from far to test one of the two wheelers or three wheelers.