Memories through the eyes of the campus bike racks
When I first arrived at university, I remember being completely overwhelmed by the massive river of bikes flowing through every corner of the campus. During my first few years in the Netherlands I have dedicated most of my time confusingly rushing around the university’s campus, while simultaneously trying to not get run over by the bikes.
My bike at the time was what could only be described as “well loved”, by both myself and all its previous owners. The seat was covered in sharp cuts throughout the rough surface, and few missing screws that made the seat wobble aggressively with every turn made.The backlight only seemed to work during the day or when the bike was parked, and the sound it made going over cobblestones was deeply alarming. But it was still my bike, and just like every other student on campus, I chained it to the overflowing campus bike racks with a kind of pride. It somehow felt like I had obtained some type of unofficial Dutch student card.
Over time, the bike racks weirdly became a very meaningful part of my everyday routine, as I slowly started noticing things happening around me during my daily hunt for my bike on the racks. I clearly remember one typical Dutch rainy winter morning, in which I arrived at the bike racks completely drenched while shivering and thinking over all my past life decisions that led me to that unpleasant moment. I turned my head to lock my bike and found myself engaging in some accidental eye contact with the person next to me, who had the exact same look on their face. We instantly started laughing at how miserable we genuinely looked. Although I never saw that person ever again, it was a lovely shared moment in the bike racks that felt like two soldiers bonding in a storm.
Another time, I went to unlock my bike after a long cold day of classes only to find my rusty lock to be completely frozen. After what seemed to be several hours of standing at the bike rack blowing the last breaths of warm air I had in me, someone passing by offered me their lighter to help speed up the process. Still to this day it was one of the fondest memories I have from my first year at university.
There have also been peaceful moments, such as the mornings where I had early morning classes and the campus was still waking up, as well as the bikes on the racks that would be still dripping from last night’s rain. I will never forget that blissful feeling of locking my bike and taking a deep breath of the crisp morning air which would remind me that today was going to be a new day.
And now, when I'm riding towards the campus bike racks I get a small nostalgic feeling of realisation that one day I won’t have these moments anymore. One day I will be arriving on campus for the final exam or final study date with friends, and without knowing it, I will be locking my bike in that special spot for the last time.
24.11.2025