In Amsterdam and Copenhagen alike, a lot of bikes are sort of community property, usually involuntarily.
I ride a reasonably nice bike for transport, which I keep well-maintained and always secure with two locks.
But most bikes I see are in a rather sorry state, with rusty dangling chains, wobbly wheels, flat tires and busted accessories. Yet they seem to still perform adequately well for their task.
In Berlin the joke is you rent your bikes for an indefinite time-period when you buy it. Having your bike stolen every few months hurts less when you paid €20 (and suspected it was already stolen before).
I ride a reasonably nice bike for transport, which I keep well-maintained and always secure with two locks.
But most bikes I see are in a rather sorry state, with rusty dangling chains, wobbly wheels, flat tires and busted accessories. Yet they seem to still perform adequately well for their task.