Bike woes

Yesterday evening was the second time in less than four months that I have had to walk my crappy bike home from work because of a flat tire.

The first time was especially infuriating because it was literally the day after I had just gotten a new tire, the same one that popped a day later. I walked it the mile or so to Central Station in my heels, then locked it up and took the tram home. I picked it up later that night so that I could bring it to the guy by our apartment that had "fixed" it. The next morning I brought it in and held my composure. I had paid this guy €25 to fix my tire, and what's my thanks? When I picked my bike up later that day, he says "you're not going to believe this". Turns out, the guy that was putting in my new tire dropped his pen in there without realizing. How does this country go on?

So yesterday afternoon, relieved that another incredibly boring work day was over so I could hurry home and address more envelopes for our wedding invitations, I go to my bike and find the front tire completely flat. This time I walked it to a bike repair shop by Central Station, again in my heels. And today it's pouring down rain so that should be a fun walk going to pick it up.

Finding a good bike here is tough. Keeping it is also not easy. A few weeks ago Matt's bike was stolen from right outside our place. It was an "oma fiets", or grandmother bike, which he had bought from our friend Jane. The difference between an oma fiets and a regular bike is the kick stand. It was a good, solid bike, old as hell of course, and the tires were nice and thick. It was a shame to lose it. My tires are so flimsy and frail that everytime I go over bits of broken Heineken bottles (quite frequently in the touristy region of Centraal Station) I worry about getting flats. It's so funny that before I came to Amsterdam I dropped serious cash on an exquisite, brand-new Volkswagen GTI (love of my life) and now I can't justify spending a couple hundred euros for another bike. I guess I'm really becoming Dutch after all...