I have to tell you something about me. I’ve always loved adrenaline sports. I jumped with a tandem parachute, I did bungee-jumping, I even started a paraglide class few years ago. There are not many things to scare me and most people consider me quite brave.

Buuuuuuut…and here’s a looong buuuut, I must recognize I am afraid of one thing like hell – no, not that I can get abducted by aliens, nor by a natural catastrophe – I am afraid… to ride a bike in the city. That’s it, I said it! It’s ok if you just burst into laughter. All my friends do. They call me chicken and so on.

But really, if I’m riding a bike on the street and I hear a car coming from behind or I see some other bus coming from the other side, I’m simply freezing. For their safety, I don’t recommend kids to get out of the house when I’m riding a bike. Because, out of nowhere, they may get hit by something similar to a lady.

You cannot imagine how I look at all those 5 year old children that ride bikes next to their parents and seem to have no problem with it. Sounds sick, but yes, I envy the 5 year olds!

And, here, in Berlin, everything seems so easy when you have a bike around. You can travel everywhere, without any extra costs. It’s true, maybe the roads are not so bike-friendly as in Copenhagen (that’s what my Danish colleague said) but definitely this doesn’t seem to be a major problem for the bikers.

And, just to show them my appreciation – because they are totally my heroes  – I want to share a tip with them. So, just in case you didn’t know, in May you have the chance to check and repair your bike for free! Here, in Berlin! The Frühlings Check takes place in three different Saturdays and three different locations between 10-17 hours:

– 07th May: Alice-Salomon-Platz (Marzahn/Hellersdorf)
– 14th May: Henriettenplatz / Kurfürstendamm 116  (Charlottenburg/Wilmersdorf)
–  21th May: Kastanienallee / Nähe Schönhauser Allee (Pankow)

So, if your bike has a problem, May is the month to solve it! And, who knows? Maybe meanwhile I’ll get over this anxiety and we’ll meet in there!