Author: Arroz (---.direcpc.com)
Date: 05-07-07 20:42
Two months in Culebra on a bike: Or, how I learned to hate Walmart bicycles.
Two months in Culebra, what’s the best/least expensive way to get around? Cars and scooters are too expensive, even with a monthly rate. Bicycles seemed the ideal solution, get around without polluting the environment, save on gasoline, exercise the cardiovascular system - who could ask for anything more? A bit of background, I am an avid biker at home in Nova Scotia, put in at least an hour every other day on woods roads and off trail - lots of hills, up and down. My wife is a somewhat less avid biker but still enjoys biking. Point being we are both in reasonable shape and not biking novices.
So, on the advice of some old-timers we checked with the two people on the island who rent out bikes and the consensus was that over a two month period they could not beat the Walmart rate for a new bike. Next step, ferry to the big island to the Fajardo Walmart. Picked up two soft-tailed bikes (front and rear shock for you non-bikers)
We get the bikes on the ferry and to our abode with minimal problem except for being ripped off by a taxi driver to get them from Walmart to the ferry. We couldn’t ride the bikes from Walmart for two several reasons, a) we didn’t know our way around Fajardo and the traffic was awful, b) the bikes weren’t ready to ride, tires flat and brakes dragging (which should have been a clue). Next morning, bright and early I start to work on the bike brakes. Oops, the little brake piece broke off just as I was getting it adjusted. Crazy glue to the rescue Do I want to trust my life to crazy glue when going downhill in Culebra? No choice. Called the 800 number tattooed on the bottom of the bike and they will send the part by UPS in 7 to 10 business days - only problem is that UPS will only ship to a stree address - not something we have a surfeit of in Culebra. Luckily I discover that Excetera will accept UPS parcels. Call back and make arrangements to have it shipped. Meanwhile the same little brake part for the front brake breaks. Crazy glue and a phone call once again. While riding around on my bike which now seems to be held together by crazy glue, I start hearing a knocking somewhere in the pedals. Gets louder and louder each day but I’m holding my breath and praying that it lasts our one remaining month. (It did.)
Even with the bikes running, however, there are other problems - mine is not quite big enough so I cannot get the seat high enough to get full power as I peddle. My wife’s bike brakes wear out within a week. Luckily one of the bike renters will sell pads so I get a set which is close enough to the ones I need to do the job. Almost forgot the acacia thorns, two flat tires later we realize that there are thorns in the lawn surrounding our abode and we need to walk the bikes to the road. Oh yes, we should have got rear fenders too, after a ride after a rain we had nice stripes up our backs.
Where did we go? Out to the Wildlife Service for the early morning bird tours, out to Flamenco, out to Tamarindo Bay , Playa Soldado, over to Colmado del Sol, Colmado Genesis, Joe’s Pinchas . . . We did have to walk up a couple of hills but hey, that was weight bearing exercise, good for the bones. (An unanticipated side benefit was that I lost 10 pounds.)
Would I recommend bikes for getting around Culebra? Yyes, yes, yes. If you’re there for a short time and are experienced cyclists, rent a bike. The rented ones looked fine. If you’re not experienced cyclists, the hills can be daunting going both up and down. (My wife walked her bike down one hill because she didn’t trust the brakes.) You might want to bring your own helmet if you are as keen as we are on maintaining our brains in reasonable shape. No one else seemed to wear a helmet so we felt a bit weird but that’s the price you pay for valuing your head.
Glad to answer any questions (about this topic)
Abe Ross
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