To buy a bike in the city, Always a good idea

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The search for a bike in this city started basically from day one. You see people all over riding there cruiser bikes (keeping in mind that all of the roads here are made of old cobblestone with potholes) and so you want a bike with a comfortable seat, you know, that cruises. From the moment I got in the cab and was talking with the driver in broken Italian, I was told not to buy a new bike because that is a sure way to get it stolen, but that an older used bike would be the way to go. After about 6 days of being led on wild goose chases through the city to bike shops that claimed to have no used bikes for sell, my friend Faren got a lead, and so we headed out on Monday in search of the elusive 'used' bicycle. Our trusty map took us past the train station and when we saw the glowing golden pile of used bikes toppled on top of each other, rusty in the sunlight we knew we had reached the top of the mountain. The shop, tucked into the side of a street, was a small outside lot separated from the sidewalk by a chain-link fence that was doing it's best to contain the pile of steel frames. The shop was manned by a single Italian in all of his glory, complete with zipper down and speaking no english, he was keeping very busy helping to fix up bikes to sell as customers picked out there diamonds in the rough. Faren and I saw what we wanted pretty much instantly and stuck with our first choices. We are both the same height, 5'9", which is relatively tall for a girl, and had to make sure the bikes would fit us right. So we carried the bikes out through the tight space, lifting the bikes over the shopkeepers head and riding them down the street and then back again. Communicating with the Signore was done mostly by pointing and with miming. His miracle fix always seemed to be, more oil and the use of the trusty hammer that has been probably the most used tool since the beginning of civilization. He was trying to raise my bike seat (because my long legs) and the stem was rusted pretty bad so he's banging away and I'm holding the bike down. All in all pretty funny. We bought our bikes on the spot, he wasn't much for bargaining, but I think 90 Euros is a good price for transportation and avoiding taking the bus. Plus it's super fun!!! I get lost in the city so much faster now! And end up the most brilliant places. I did take my bike in today to a more upscale repair shop because the chain guard was loose and causing my bike to squeak when I rode it, plus the brake cable came loose, and my handle bars needed to be tightened; oh yah, and my front tire was flat. So now, she's a silver beauty, works great, and people will think I'm a real Italian local!

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Photos

Luce
This shows the generator for my front light to work, I flip it to touch my front tire and when I'm riding it generates electricity to my bike light!!!

Photo 4
Locked up on the sidewalk in front of my place!

Photo 5
Bike Flair

Comments

[janessa]

shiney
" its shiney, like silver surfer" - stryder

[Racheal Bailey]

Where is the big place?
I am here in Florence and I have also been searching. But where is it??? Racheal