Biking in Berlin

Before coming to Berlin, I hadn’t ridden a bike in some time. I go to school in a hilly area and my bike always had flat tires or defunct brakes or a wonky chain, all of which gave me ample excuse to never bike.

But, back in February on Valentines Day strangely enough, my friend Naomi and I wanted to go to a gallery on Museum Island. It was a one-off sunny day, so we both wanted to maximize our time in the sun and walk instead of taking public transport. But, the walk would have been around 45 minutes and the gallery was closing soon. We headed down the hill from our apartments and saw a fleet of Lime bikes; neither of us had ever biked in a city but all signs pointed to now to break that streak. 

Our fifteen minute ride (emphasis on the word ride because being on a Lime requires minimal physical effort because it’s electric) was liberating, joyful, and a bit bumpy because the streets in Alexandarplatz aren’t paved very well. With a chilly breeze in our faces, we laughed as we learned the rules of the (bike)road in real time.

Since then, I’ve been Lime-ing as much as I can. More often than not, it’s faster than public transportation to get around the city, which is saying a lot because there’s four different lines of transport within a five-minute walk of my apartment. While the efficiency of biking is paramount, I’ve been so enamored with it because it’s just so fun. It’s a great way to get to know the city; you’re going slow enough to take in your surroundings but fast enough that neighborhoods are starting to feel distinct but organized in my mental map. 

It’s also worth mentioning that biking in Berlin is such a viable option because of the city’s continued efforts in making conditions for bikers safe and accessible. The city boasts over 620 kilometers of bike lanes that are protected and constantly renovated under the Mobilitätsgesetz act–translating roughly to The Berlin Mobility Act. Under this law, the city affirmed its commitment to promote methods of transportation like biking in order to reach their goal of Berlin’s climate neutrality by 2050.

While it’s generally considered very safe to bike in Berlin, it’s still important to be aware while you’re on the road. I’ve been biking for a few months now, and each time I head out I find someone to be my biking ‘spirit guide’. In the least woo-woo way, this is basically just a person who looks more experienced than me at biking in Berlin. On my way to meet my friends at a cafe today, for example, I was behind this older man with salt and pepper hair and a silver hoop earring who was riding a vintage looking bike. I followed him as he took left turns through multiple lanes of traffic which is always a bit daunting, I did my hand signals at the same time as him, and followed his lead when a bike lane ended so we had to merge into traffic. I’ve found someone like this on nearly all of my rides; I feel so endeared to them even though I have no idea anything about them. 

I also love feeling like I’m a part of the biking collective–there’s something special about the random group of people you’re stopped at a light with. I feel cooler than the people in their cars on one side, and speedier than the walkers on the other. Together, we’re a quiet conglomerate with gears spinning and bells ringing, getting to our destinations faster and more sustainably than our pedestrian and driver counterparts.