Working Bicycles

I certainly can't speak to the rest of Mexico, but Playa del Carman certainly has adopted the bicycle for everyday work purposes. It could be that one of the busiest streets, as well as the street to the ferry terminal, were pedestrian-only corridors.

We saw bikes that shuttled people from the ferry to taxis or to their hotels,(these ones were waiting for their riders to finish breakfast before heading off to the docks)

hauling produce,

serving as a fresh-squeezed orange juice stands for morning commuters,

and supporting floats in parades.

Different Approaches

Bicycles are mixed with scooters and motorcycles in the parking areas of Playa del Carman. The bicycle, I was happy to see, was used extensively in this city.

Some people had greater security concerns than others, and the salty air played havoc with the finish of many of the bikes.

I wish I had seen the person who rode this bike. The geometry of the handlebars is amazing.

These were the types of helmets worn by most people on scooters. Cyclists didn't wear helmets, but I think they would make a cool alternative for people on bikes in other parts of the world.

Mayan Bicycle

This was such a cheerful bicycle, surrounded by flowers, on what I felt was a very Spanish/Mexican style of fence.

Origami

On the way home from work on Friday, we stopped by Mountain Equipment Co-op. The Geek was looking for some wool t-shirts. I have been wearing wool as a base layer for a couple of years and I have finally brought her over from the dark side.
We happened to see MEC's version of folding bicycle while we were waling into the store. It was cabled to the stand with some other bicycles, so it was difficult to take a clear picture but it might be more obvious if enlarged.

The bike is called Origami, which I think is cute, and is manufactured by Dahon. The geometry looks off for my needs, but there may be some who find it highly practical. You can read the description and any reviews (there are none at this moment) here.

Filthy Bicycle

I don't know if this picture gives a true appreciation of how very dirty the Geek's bike really is.

Suffice to say it has been well used on the slushy streets for the last few weeks. Now things are just icy so she is temporarily back to running and bussing to her destinations.