Just got back from a week in Germany on a work trip. Travel for work is usually just that... work.
But as with anything in life, fun is where you find it. And even though it was a long week, I did have some fun, meet some interesting people and OF COURSE find some interesting bike stuff.
I flew into Frankfurt and from there got a rental car to drive to Heidelberg. One of the interesting things about the Frankfurt airport which I've never seen in the states is that many of the airport personnel ride around on utility bikes. Bikes with 20" wheels no less.
I've done a few searches and don't find much on Kynast bikes, except for a bankruptcy and sale.
Nevertheless, this seems like such an obviously good idea. Airports have long stretches that you'd need to walk if you worked there. And those electric carts are not very practical for employees.
I have seen at US airports that personnel use bicycles OUTSIDE for the very same reason. When I snapped the picture above there was an employee riding by on another bike who stared and stared... probably wondering why in the world I was taking a picture of this "dull" bike.
Work takes me to the small town of Walldorf and the big campus of SAP, but most people who travel there stay in the larger town of Heidelberg which is about 20 minutes north on the autobahn.
One of the really cool things you notice right away is how the bike lanes are integral to the streets. It's hard to tell from the picture, but many of the high traffic bike routes are built in between the sidewalk and the street... not really a part of either but rather something on its own. There is a little curb between both.
One of my colleagues told me that there are places you can rent bikes locally... which sounded like a great plan.
Work takes me to the small town of Walldorf and the big campus of SAP, but most people who travel there stay in the larger town of Heidelberg which is about 20 minutes north on the autobahn.
Heidelberg is a classic city and university town. And by classic I mean it has a city plan circa 1500 and a ton of bikes zipping around.
One of the really cool things you notice right away is how the bike lanes are integral to the streets. It's hard to tell from the picture, but many of the high traffic bike routes are built in between the sidewalk and the street... not really a part of either but rather something on its own. There is a little curb between both.
One of my colleagues told me that there are places you can rent bikes locally... which sounded like a great plan.
Did I mention also that it was snowing while I was there? Brrr.