Aug 24, 2011
So I bought a bicicle on Mercado Libre the other day. On saturday I took the train from Once Train Station, to Moron (it’s really named like this). In the 30 min ride countless men and women walked through the train, selling tissues, food, playing music, everything you need. The Vendors were a couple in their late 40′s, the husband did the talking. The bike was not in the condition “muy buen estado” as they described it online, the brakes were down, the fronttire crooked, but when I told them he just shrugged his shoulders, and told me “you already bought it and took the train from buenos aires out here, are you seriously not going to take it?”. Of course I did. Its a green road bike with a steel frame, simple and beautiful. On the train back i went to the goodswaggon, it was packed with a couple of bikes and even more people standing and sitting on the floor. The guys next to me wore tracksuits of River Plate and looked like Soccer-Coach Dads. Not more than 5 min later they started rolling their first joint, inhalled, leaned back and passed it on the group sitting next to them. It was a bunge of guys, all holding a windshield wiper in their hands. Among them sat a guy who looked exactly like Jaws in Bond Movie “The Spy who loved me”. He was too big to stand in the train, at least 2,10 m tall, and his appearance was almost intimidating. After he smoked, he looked out of the window, watched the passing houses, and from one moment to the other started laughing so hard and loud, it made the whole waggon shake.
The way from Once Train station back home was an adventoure, as my brakes worked only, lets say 5. At night I went to La Fabricicleta.
Photo found at:
http://lafabricicleta.blogspot.com/
It’s a bicycle garage, where everybody can come, work in his bicycle, use the tools they have, meet people, and find help if needed. The building has some history, during the crisis in 2001 it was a place for children to eat, but I need to ask more for the whole story. They have a Manifesto, I’ll try to translate the first four from spanish into english:
1. We Love Bicycles, without distinction of brand, weight or material.
2. There doesnt exist neither a bicycle out of date, nor a disposable part.
3. We are all indivuals and here we share withoug judging anybody.
4. Taking their bycicles into pices people get to know each other better, get to know new people and the world.
Ok this was a pretty freestyle translation, if you want to read the whole Manifest, you can find it HERE.
Everybody at the Fabricicleta was really helpfull, they seem like a big family. I could fix my brakes, and will go back there next Saturday. They are open Tuesdays from 18-20 pm and Saturdays from 16-20 pm, you find them in Buenos Aires at Triunvirato 4778.
