Michael: The Bike Shop

The river crossing
Though only an ankle deep
Is a splash of joy.

Monday, April 18, 2016

With bleed kit and brake pads in hand, I rode my bike 5 minutes down the road to A.D.N. Bike shop.

Fortunately Adrian - A.D.N. - who runs the shop speaks better English than I do Spanish, and along with the visual aids of the kit and pads, understood what I wanted done. I brought my bike in on Saturday and he said it could be ready by Monday if he could find the necessary brake fluid; all for $18. That’s a deal.

My only question was whether he wanted me to leave the bike or bring it back on Monday. He wanted me to leave it. He took out a journal, pretty much like my writing journal, and asked for my name and number and that was it; no invoice, no claim ticket, just a handshake and out the door I go.

I felt a bit strange leaving my bike there. It’s a very, very small shop and I doubt Adrian would be able to replace my bike if it were stolen. But Volcan is also a very small town and it feels right to trust Adrian if he believes my bike is safe with him. Maybe that’s the way it’s done still in some small towns in the states, but I’ve never lived in a small town before, so this is a new experience for me.