Chinese bikes, eighth of an interminable series

As promised, a vendor bike, even one appropriate for today:

click for big.

During january these tree bud sellers are everywhere in Cheng Du. This gentleman sold me the runtiest ugliest ones at a super inflated lawai price, so I do not feel too bad in stealing his soul and publishing it on the web. I did ask permission, but really I wanted to just get the bike without him in it, no dice.

Ralleighoid bike taking advantage of the massive chainstay length to put on two huge beautiful wicker baskets. I love those baskets. Branches were held in capped bamboo tubes, also very beautiful and elegant. A truck would deliver a huge number of branches to the corner right near one of the campus gates and then bike and motor vendors would pick up a selection of buds and disperse. I think the large branches were 10-15 yuan ($1.25-2 US), small ones were in the neighborhood of a couple of yuan, students would get them for their sweeties. I say "I think" as they charged foreigners like me a couple bucks for small runty branches. They still bloomed nicely though.

Here is everyone dispersing from the drop point. Battery driven motor cycles were the step up from bikes and were quite popular. They pedal so you can get home when you run out of charge.


click for big.

All pics copyright me, 2005.