[jillesvangurp]

Bike leasing is a thing now. Here in Berlin, I've used Swapfiets for a while. You pay something like 25 euros a month and in return you get a decent bike to ride (comfortable, 6 gears, good brakes, etc.). If there are any issues, you just go to store and get a freshly serviced one. Zero hassle. I've done this for minor rattles, the gears feeling a bit loose, etc. They actually remind people to come in for a fresh bike once in a while because they know these things need maintenance.

You end up spending about 300/year. And for that money you have no need to worry about repairs. Or theft. These things seem to be immune to being stolen. Both those things are big issues because repairs are expensive if you don't do them yourself and bike theft means you need to replace them (or pay extra for insurance) when that happens and it also means that using a nice bike to get around is risky.

With Swapfiets, I never worried about theft. You just lock it and the bike thieves apparently ignore them as they are probably hard to sell on (as they are very recognizable). I've done that all over Berlin, including many of the hot spots where I'd normally be reluctant to leave anything of value unattended.