Mijn Fiet is My Only Carriage

The bike is king in these lands.  My steed, my fiet, my bike, my friend....Trigger.  He is a shining black hybrid between a traditional Dutch bike and a racer.  He has a dashing speed of 32kmh. Still, on a windy rainy cold nights journey, he still carries you along at 18kmh.  His bell is like loading a gun and firing.  Positioned exactly so the trigger finger does the pulling, and the thumb looosenes the cartridge to get a fuller ring.  Like firing a gun.  And when you watch the traffic before you part at the ring of that mighty bell, a smile doth cometh to mijn face.

Trigger came into my life one sunny hazy day at the Magneet festival.  Whilst I was working the Magneet, I had no bike at all.  It was the full on experience with little ventures outside of that world.  During the last weekend, I spotted him with a puncture and broken locks around him.  I asked Raymond who's the bike was, and he said he found it outside.  I asked if I could borrow it, if I fix the puntcure and he said sure. I felt an instant bond with the bike.  He looked a bit battered and old, and the locks still around him dented his natural beauty.  With an angle grinder, Bart took off the locks for me, and already he was looking better.  I bought a can of black spray paint and couldnt wait to give him a new coat.

So there he was, looking like a prize winner.  Shining jet black with his traditional Dutch shape.  Whenever I have money I can't resist spending it on him.  As soon as I had made 15 Euroes I bought a speedomater and distance calculater.  Fitted it with excitement and wonder at how many kilometeres I would notch up.  I always felt I did so much riding here, and would be intrigued to know just how much exactly.  (I have done 500 kilometeres since the 27th November!)  Next was a car lock.  It's a lock that makes your bike like a car, a circular lock that goes on the back wheel, you keep your key in until you park, and then take them out.  I was really excited at getting this too, for peace of mind, and the fact it makes it like a car. 

Once this snow clears, I plan to take him apart and put him back together.  Just to know how every bit of him works.  And also to give him some improvements.  I have some pre-historic shark teeth that I am glueing onto the front wheel rim, plus an Amsterdam flag magnet for the back.  I am going to get him a brown seat and brown hand grips, and some glossy black paint to give him that extra black shine.  I also want some devil shaped horns for the front handlebars, so that when people see me taking them over, they think, 'What a bike'.  And he is a great bike.  With these finishing touches he is gonna be the best bike in Amsterdam.


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