Get What You Pay For

With no class on Friday I planned on taking it easy and getting a few things done around campus. I woke up late morning and ate some fruit, then got my student ID processed.

Eamomm, from Washington State, called before noon and wanted me to make it downtown and get lunch with him- since there was no one to share a taxi with I decided today was the day to buy a bike. The bike shop by campus has a woman cracking walnuts outside it and the man always tinkering with old bikes, though they only sell new bikes. Initially I wanted to find a used bike until I heard horror stories of trying to find people who sell them- likely all stolen.

I purchased about the 3rd cheapest bike just because the cheaper ones were too small, and the man proceeded to put pedals on and tighten the loose nuts. It is a lounge type bike with curved in handle bars and a curved frame. From the start the brakes squeaked and the single-gear would sometimes skip. After a few miles a one of the pedal cranks warped a little. I paid $30 for the bike and a lock- I really like the lock.

Riding by the lake, swerving through traffic, cruising with fluorescent sunglasses, and getting lost downtown- I was having a good time even though it was the cheapest piece of machinery I had rode on. I have put together bikes from people's garbage better than this new piece of aluminum. I eventually met with Eamomm and we ate at Hangzhou Hooters. The waitresses were extremely pleasant and had fun speaking Chinese with us- it was very much like Hooters in America. I'll return and take pictures sometime.

Eamomm tried riding on the back of my bike to the visa office, an act we see everywhere on the streets, but as I went over a small bump the back wheel completely warped. Stubbornly I took it to a bike shop a few blocks away and pick it up later today. I'll post soon about our planned trip.