Rødgrød med Flød
Today, Carissa and I decided to go bike shopping! There are a few used bicycle stores in the city open on Saturday, so we made a rough plan to check out a few and then find a coffee shop in the afternoon.
The first shop we hit is on the outskirts of town and sells used road and mountain bikes. The selection is huge, but we are picky! We’re both looking for a bike with a basket, and ideally in a cute color. The shop owner only speaks Danish, so I am elected chief communicator (by default).
Carissa and I both find options we like, but I find out that the shop owner only takes cash or MobilePay, the Danish version of Venmo. Unfortunately, MobilePay requires a Danish bank account, something we don’t have just yet. We’re both on the fence about buying bikes on our first stop anyway, so we follow the shop owner’s directions to the nearest bank and talk it out. To our relief, banken er lukket (the bank is closed), and it seems like a sign that the bikes were not meant to be.
We take a bus into the city center and decide to check out the bike shops there. After perusing two more, both expensive and with fewer options, we decide that it’s time for coffee. We wander around the Indre By (Inner City), and I receive a compliment in Danish on my red shoes! Tak!
During our coffee break, Carissa and I browse Facebook Marketplace for bikes and chat about upcoming student events. An hour later, we’re signed up for an international student bar night and a student yoga class. The best part—we’ve found bikes!
Another city bus takes us back out to the suburbs, and we meet with the family that is selling the bike I’m interested in. I chat with them about the condition of the bike and ride it up and down their street a few times—I love it! It comes with a bike lock, a basket, and it’s RED. YAY!
Not wanting to leave the bike-less Carissa to fend for herself on public transit, I play up the “I’m a clueless American” card and beg the bus driver to let me take my bike on the bus. Normally, bikes can only be taken on “outer city” buses outside of rush hour, but thankfully this city bus is quiet, and we have plans to get off before it gets too far into the city.
When Carissa switches over to the bus line that will take her back to her dorm, I decide to bike the rest of the route home. It’s just under 2 miles and a great way to test out my new bike! I also discovered that while Aarhus has bike lanes next to most roads like in Copenhagen, the city also has dedicated bike “shortcuts” through parks with lots of signs to get you to your destination.
Back home, I make a very elaborate meal of pasta with apples and jam. I’ll probably need to branch out in the next few days… My meal felt a bit lackluster when I stepped out into the kitchen later to find that my Italian roommate had made a seafood rice bowl.
P.S. “Rødgrød med Flød” Is a danish tongue-twister that means “red porridge with cream.” It’s typically said to foreigners who display adequate Danish skills in an effort to humble their pronunciation skills…
2 responses to “In This Post I… Buy a Cykel (Bike)”
You are a smart shopper! Cutest bike ever! It must be from all of that shopping experience you have had with your mom, aunts and Grandma. You are certainly not wasting any time exploring. Thanks for sharing with us-love it!
I was just going to add that your Italian roommate should be the resident cook! Loved reading the blog and congrats on the new red bike— love!! And, you need a bike with a basket. First thing I did when I moved to Florence. Love you— keep them coming!