I bought a bike!

Catherine and I went down to Jaffa for a free walking tour. I'll try to do a separate post there. Being in Jaffa allowed me to buy a bike from the nutty bike store on Jerusalem Street. I have been jonesin' for a bike since I got here because my only form of transportation has been my own two feet or cabs; the former can get tiresome, the latter expensive.

Anyhow, I had bought a bike from the zany bike store when I was here previously and I had negotiated to sell it back at a fixed price. Not surprisingly, the guy jerked me around on the sell back price. Regardless, his bikes are still cheaper than others that you can find downtown. I was looking for a get-around-town bike that I could leave locked outside while I was eating or at a cafe, so cheap is good. 

I arrived at the shop and it was twice as big as before, with bikes hanging, bikes parked, bikes out front...everywhere. Most were of the cheap Chinese variety, which was fine by mean, but he did have some Treks and other decent bikes. The owner was so manic that he kicked up dust like the Tazmanian Devil as he moved about the store. He'd come to me to ask what I wanted, show me some bikes that fit my needs, then turn away while I was in mid-sentence to go yell at one of his "quirky" mechanics. This was all amidst, mind you, some major cutting and welding going on in not one, but two parts of the 15x12 foot shop. 

I wasn't too much in the mood for bargaining, so I just had him slap better tires on the bike that I wanted and I rode home with this (which MIGHT last me two years, but I have my doubts).