I started riding with a collective of bike couriers, but until recently I never dared repair my own bike. Now I see myself as a cyclist in my own right — I fix and ride independently.
The bike gives me free access to mobility in the city. I'm not dependent on public transport, on cars... The “guys” usually leave me more alone too, and I get where I'm going quickly. Sometimes I get the feeling the street belongs to me, on this beautiful human-sized machine.
But for me this is more about self-confidence than getting from A to B. On the bike, I decide where I'm going and how fast I get there. It also means my body becomes present to me again, since I'm moving the bike with my own muscles. This new “experience of effort” has given me a lot — a sweet, not-too-intense everyday joy.
Still, the bike shouldn't be treated as some universal tool of liberation for Flinta* people, since there are plenty who can't or simply don't want to ride. It can still mean something to many, though, which is why both politicizing and democratizing cycling matter.
And Berlin already has plenty of Flinta* initiatives built around cycling: social rides, Flinta* alleycats, self-help repair workshops... I hope there'll be even more of them.
Courier Huile Smith #38 belongs to CROW Courier, which replaces delivery vans with cargo bikes and, in doing so, helps improve quality of life in the city.