My new steed

After the exhausting bike ride to the beach on Easter weekend and then deciding to rent a bike to ride around the tulip fields, I thought that perhaps I was in need of a bike upgrade. I felt a bit like I was betraying my bike, the only one I've owned here which has done well for me, but I had to admit it just wasn't good for longer rides. It's not even been particularly good lately for daily use around the city. The pedals have been slipping which makes for tiring cycling. So I decided I needed to look for a better bike, one with gears that would be more comfortable to ride for the times I wanted to head out of the city.

Saturday looking for a bike was on my list and I found a shop straight away that had a rough, handpainted sign advertising used bikes at the end of the alley it was in. I popped in, told the guy what I was looking for, and soon found a sturdy, 26-inch bike with 4 gears that looked to be in good shape. I went for a test ride and couldn't find anything wrong with it, so I went ahead and bought it. I bought a bike before I even got to any of my other shopping for the day! Without further ado, here she is:



I left it in the shop and went back later to pick it up. I transferred over my saddle bags from my other bike and went for a ride in the evening through the Leidse Hout. It was a beautiful evening and I was very happy with the bike. It rides really well and the gears and brakes work great. I have gotten used to the handbrakes pretty quickly, though I have a feeling I'll want to brake with the pedals if it's sudden. I need to adjust the seat and handlebars a bit, but otherwise I'm very pleased with my find and I can't wait to go to the beach again.