i bike paris

such is the name of a bike tour company here in Paris owned by my two friends Paul and Christian. it's actually "Bike About Tours", but they have new t-shirts brandishing the ibikeparis logo.
what does this have to do with me, you ask? well i'm now the proud of owner of a bicycle. i've heard for the past 5 months that i've been here that seeing Paris on a bike really changes one's perspective. they say the city becomes a lot smaller, and you see a lot of things you've never seen before. so taking their advice, i got in touch with someone advertising on craiglist. it's a couple of college guys who pick up bikes and repair them in their spare time. the bikes aren't impeccable, but i guess their angle is value, selling a decent bike for a good price. (note: bikes in Paris are rather expensive, and the awesome city bikes are even more than mountain bikes, which can be purchased relatively cheaply at sports stores(150€ or more))

as for my bike, it's a baby blue "Mercier", complete with bell on the left handlebar with which i can kindly urge people to get out of my way. there's a light to announce my presence at night, but i think i need a new bulb. there's also a rack on the back complete with hinged clamp that i can use to secure books or whatnot. of course, preventing theft is an issue, as i daily see locks attached to fences but no sign of a bike. had i a courtyard in my apartment building, i'd gladly keep it there, but for now it's on the street, well secured, i hope.


by the next time i write, i'll be on my way to expert knowledge of the city. i just hope to avoid a repeat of my freshman year bike accident...