Getting a Bike

Moving to Europe, I knew I wanted to get a bicycle.  My sisters gave me money to buy a bike for my birthday this year (thanks sisters!).  But when I got here I found the prices were more than I could stomach.  For a new bike in a shop the price hovered around $1000.  I didn't need a new bike but I didn't know how to find a used one since I can't read the Swedish on craigslist.

When Jen and I were in Kerteminde, Denmark, our hosts Allen and Myra asked what I needed to settle in.  I mentioned I wanted to get a bike and Allen immediately offered to help me.  He got on the Danish version of craigslist and began calling around inquiring about used bikes.  They then drove us to a random farm in the countryside near Odense to look at a bike.  Allen did some bartering in Danish and it was there I made my first major purchase for a little more than $100.  While it may not be the perfect fit, I couldn't turn down the price.

I brought my bike to Sweden on the train and have been riding around exploring ever since.