The Bike Debacle (13/01)

What happened to the really extensive cycling (press here!) I hear you cry! Or, in fact, cycling at all? Cycling isn't without its problems (just have a read here) but for the last few months it has actually been impossible. I haven’t had a bike. It was actually back in October that I took the bike I use from my host family to do some shopping in the centre of Den Haag. Shopping completed, all ready and unlocked to head home, I suddenly remembered something I’d forgotten. This resulted in an embarrassingly hurried dash back to the shop. It also resulted in a failure to re-lock my bike. A quick 5 minute in-and-out and my bike had gone. My bike could have sat on Ypenburg’s shopping street totally unlocked for hours and it wouldn’t have been so much as touched but in a big city like Den Haag that’s all it takes. Bike theft is after all one of the most committed crimes in Holland and it’s no wonder since there are so many (more than there are people). That’s why nearly all Dutch bikes have fixed on-and-off locks around the wheel with most owners choosing to wrap an additional lock around at least one wheel, the frame and an immovable object.

Anyhow a couple of (pretty pointless) police reports later and a good deal of searching I have finally got a replacement bike courtesy of some great family friends. They even drove a tightly packed me and bike in the car from Noordwijk to Ypenburg to save me the chilly ride! It’s been great to be back on the saddle and I’ve definitely learnt my lesson. Lock and double lock.