"Flatlander" is a derogatory term loosely used by some hill people of Vermont for people who live in cities and valleys outside the Green Mountains. I suppose this word could be used for the people of Amsterdam, but after riding bike here, I have decided to redefine the concept in a new and positive way.
Commuting in Amsterdam is a euphoric experience. We could learn a thing or two from these people who "hug the sand." Think about it; the fee required to repair a tire tube or replace brake pads is ridiculously small compared to the European price of gas or a pair of well-treaded, waterproof shoes. In fact, In the four days I've been here, I think I have yet to walk an entire block by foot. Well I know this may not sound all that rad but this is not Vermont, where there seems to always be some kind of weather-, time-, clothing-related, geographical or physical constraint keeping me off my bike.
So when I return home after Europe, I will find me a handsome new set of wheels, a bike that really fits me, with a cushion size seat and handle bars that allow me to sit upright. When I find it, I will marry it! We'll lock frames together and have little "tricycle" offspring and buy a front box for our dog to ride in.... oh what bliss! Unfortunatley, I will have to return to shifting gears! Burlington is not flat like Amsterdam — a city where the act of shifting gears is more of an effort than pedalling harder over an ever-so-subtle canal bridge incline. It may be the only real physical effort a bicyclist encounters throughout the day.
