Every day in Berlin, an estimated 500,000 bicyclists take to the streets on their preferred mode of transportation. In fact, the German capital is increasingly becoming one of Europe's most bike-friendly cities. It's only fitting then that Berlin is host to one of the most creative and vibrant bike shows on the continent—the Berliner Fahrradschau (Berlin Bike Show)—now in its sixth year.
The show is part of the larger week-long celebration Berlin Bicycle Week with an underlying message that cycling unites. The week's promotional poster featured a rabbi and an imam riding tandem, and the festivities culminated with Jews and Muslims riding together from the iconic Brandenberg Gate to promote tolerance across cultures, religions, and lifestyles—a notion that's certainly easy to get behind.
We spent some time at the Berliner Fahrradschau over the weekend for an overview of the most eye-catching trends in cycling today. The show seamlessly brought together everyone from individual bike builders to larger, more established—albeit still niche—manufacturers offering bikes and accessories for aficionados, hobbyists, and the curious cyclist to drool over. And drool we did as we walked through rows and rows of beautifully detailed commuter bikes, classic rides, eco-friendly frames, stylish baskets, velo couture, and more. That's not to mention all the action with events like bike polo and BMX racing. Here, the 10 best things we saw at Berliner Fahrradschau:
