
I bought my humble steed for 500kr (about $100CDN) from a man named Esteban... it may not be quite as fast or smooth as Black Beauty (my Trek hyrbrid back home) and it may have 3 gears which do not often cooperate, but it gets me where I want to go. Having an upright bike is such a nice change. I get to feel like I can actually watch the city as it passes, not just barrel down the road in a hunched position on the constant lookout for the next car clip or tailgaiting (rear fendering?) bus.
One of my favourite experiences here is riding in the biklane during rush hour traffic. There is such a feeling of kinness, of urbanism to its most human degree. Bicycling beside your common man - I believe I could actually call it joy.