The Second-Hand Bike

Carla had been thinking about buying a bike for months. The bus to her office was slow, tickets kept getting more expensive, and she liked the idea of arriving without stress. The problem was money: the bike she wanted cost 400 euros, and she had promised herself to save at least half of her salary this month.

One evening, a handwritten advert in the entrance of her building caught her eye: “Green bike, 120 euros, good condition.” The phone number belonged to Mr Diaz from the second floor. She hesitated, because cheap offers sometimes hide expensive problems, but she sent a message anyway.

In the garage the next afternoon, the bike looked older than the advert had suggested. The paint had a few scratches and one pedal moved slightly when she pushed it. However, the brakes worked well, the chain was clean and the tyres were in good condition. Mr Diaz admitted that he had used it mostly at weekends.

Carla did some quick arithmetic. A new pedal would cost about ten euros, and a lock another fifteen. Even with those extras, the total would be far lower than the price in the shop. “I will take it for 110,” she said, “if you show me how the gears work.” Mr Diaz agreed and spent ten minutes explaining them.

On Monday, she cycled to the office in fifteen minutes, arriving earlier than usual. The bike was not perfect, and she knew she might upgrade it one day. For now, though, she was pleased that she had compared the options instead of choosing by impulse or by price alone.