DConf 2017 Berlin - bicycles

[Adrian Matoga via Digitalmars-d]

On Friday, 21 April 2017 at 13:37:17 UTC, Steven Schveighoffer 
wrote:
>
> After the bike tour I had last year, I can 100% agree that 
> having a bike is a fabulous way to get around the city quickly. 
> You can ride the subway with your bike (although IIRC, you need 
> to buy a ticket for it), but the thing that makes Berlin so 
> accessible via bike is that it's totally flat. Those 10 minute 
> walks become 1 minute rides, and it's a very bike-friendly 
> city. I mused while riding around that the tour would be nearly 
> impossible, or at least a huge workout if we did something like 
> that in Boston :)

I don't know about Boston, but I've heard many times that Lisbon 
was too hilly to ride a bike there, but in reality it wasn't all 
that bad (well, maybe on the hottest summer days), and in recent 
years the city council has been investing in dedicated 
infrastructure to improve it. I guess people will always find 
excuses. :)
Warsaw, where I live now, is almost just as flat as Berlin and 
quite pleasant to ride around, especially in spring and summer (I 
rarely choose the shortest way home), but it's not as 
bike-friendly yet for other reasons. Cities like Berlin are a 
live explanation of the term "critical mass" – there's just 
enough people on bikes so they're treated as normal and respected 
in the streets, unlike in Polish cities where riding to work is 
still considered eccentric and casual cyclists are thought of as 
traffic obstacles, members of leftist sects, or just too poor to 
own a car.

> Glad you are coming, Adrian, looking forward to seeing you 
> again!

Yeah, can't wait to hear your talk on iopipe! :)