Buying a bike in europe



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Reggie

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I am an american planning a trip to france for this june, and was thinking that i could make more
distance if i purchase a used bike in france. Any idea on how i actually make this a reality? This
is my first time backpacking and first time to france, so i'm not really sure exactly what the best
way of doing this is.

reggie
 
Reggie wrote:

>I am an american planning a trip to france for this june, and was thinking that i could make more
>distance if i purchase a used bike in france. Any idea on how i actually make this a reality? This
>is my first time backpacking and first time to france, so i'm not really sure exactly what the best
>way of doing this is.

1. Go into a second hand bicycle shop in France, phrase book in hand.
2. Look for a bike you like.
3. Look up the phrase for, "how much is this bike".
4. Say, "Excussse monsur, saaf faarrr combem poor cet velo".
5. Wait for the shopkeeper to reply, "Oh, you must be American, I love you people so much. For you
this bike is only one thousand Euros."
6. Hand over credit card.
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"Reggie" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I am an american planning a trip to france for this june, and was thinking
that i
> could make more distance if i purchase a used bike in france. Any
idea
> on how i actually make this a reality? This is my first time backpacking and first time to
> france, so i'm not really sure exactly what the best way of doing this is.

The easiest way to do this is in the "trocathalon" [attatched to "decathalon"] shops. No
negotiation[*], all the bikes sitting there in lines, and the one I chose, has a line up of about
20, from 70's and 80's "racers" onwards. It might be hard to find one of these, but there is one in
the south of Orleans, just one hour of train and one supertram journey from Paris.

[*] Their actual system is that the price is fixed, but goes down every week. So if you don't like
the price you just wait!
 
[email protected] (Reggie) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> I am an american planning a trip to france for this june, and was thinking that i could make more
> distance if i purchase a used bike in france. Any idea on how i actually make this a reality? This
> is my first time backpacking and first time to france, so i'm not really sure exactly what the
> best way of doing this is.

If you are near Luxembourg or Belgium, try the "Troc International" chain of second hand stores
(I don't know if they are in France or not). You can normally pick-up a functional (if
unfasionable) bike for about Euro 50. Currently in Troc Luxembourg they have a old model Trek
mountain bike for Euro 79.
 
Gonzalez <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Reggie wrote:
>
> >I am an american planning a trip to france for this june...

> 5. Wait for the shopkeeper to reply, "Oh, you must be American, I love you people so much. For you
> this bike is only one thousand Euros."
> 6. Hand over credit card.

Just remember not to ask for freedom fries in McDo.

--
Dave...
 
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