Josh has been on the hunt for a new bike, but he didn’t want to spend $400 or more when we don’t know if we’ll be here 6 months from now. Especially when he already has 3 bikes in storage (he says they all serve a different purpose: triathlon/road/mountain).
He did find a perfect commuter bike online for half price (only $200), but then he couldn’t get it shipped here. Darn.
The TCNs here all ride a particular style of bike — with a basket, rear shelf (that sometimes acts as a seat for someone hitching a ride), fixed gear, no frills. Josh tracked down one of our maintenence guys and asked where he could find that kind of bike. He said it was quite the accomplishment to have a conversation with him speaking Arabic, the guy speaking Urdu, and bits of English thrown in when possible.
Josh test-riding
I wonder what sort of surprises are in the Surprise Department Store? (in the background)
The reason he wanted this kind of bike is because you can’t get it in America. It’s Chinese designed, Indian made, and he said this brand makes 4 million bikes per year (thanks Google!). It’s very low tech and even the breaks work via levers rather than cables. My understanding is it is designed specifically for 3rd world countries as an affordable mode of transportation.
All that and a bell for $85.
The coolest part is that there are lights on the front and rear that are manually “charged.” It’s his pedaling that creates the energy to make the lights glow. Never afraid to be different, he’ll be the only guy riding to base on one of these bikes!