Michael: Bicycle Parts

The music gallops
At a traditionally
Proud Spanish horse pace.

Monday, April 4, 2016

My bicycle needs new brake pads. Because I have SRAM hydraulic road brakes, the pads are not easy to find. Even in the states when I called around, no shop had them on hand.

On March 25 I placed a $100 dollar order for brake pads, a tire, and a hand carry water bottle from Chain Reaction Cycles, a British company. They only charge $16 for shipping. DHL in Panama called me on Friday, April 1 to tell me my order was ready to pick up in David. Not bad, really; just a little over a week to get here. They’d even bring my parcel up to Volcan, but only on Tuesdays. This Tuesday we’re going to be in Boquete, so I’ll pick it up in David.

The cost that really hurts is the duty charge. On this order that’s $30. And then there’s the cost of my stupidity. I forgot to order a brake fluid bleed kit. That’s going to cost me another week of waiting and the additional $16 shipping charge and whatever duty is going to be on that order.

So my word to the wise is, and sadly I’m going to have to excude myself from that group, when you visit the states order small items that you need that are hard to find overseas and make room in your luggage for them. Secondly, if you do place an overseas shipping order, order what you need all at once. You’ll save both time and money. And finally, if you’re going to invest in anything new, like hydraulic brakes on road bicycles, expect that it’s going to cost you a bit extra in both time and money. And a bit more of both when you live in a small community in a small Central American country.