Ola Uruguay Real Estate and Investments

I used to live in Canada. The last time I visited a bicycle shop in Canada was to get a flat tire repaired. I thought about that visit this past week when I went to a bike shop here in Uruguay. It is an interesting comparison that illustrates some differences between life in North America and life in Uruguay.

Recently, my wife and I acquired new bicycles from a couple who were leaving Uruguay. These bikes were originally purchased in the U.S. Although both bikes are of very good quality, one of them had some need for maintenance repairs. Also, as we like to use our bicycles for shopping trips, we wanted to have baskets installed. So we headed off to one of Atlantida’s bicycle repair, sales, and rental shops.

Here’s a picture of the entrance to this shop. It certainly does not, in any way, resemble that shop I visited in Canada.

My wife’s bike had been used by a very small woman. The shaft that holds the bike seat had been cut short for her. We had this short shaft replaced with a longer one enabling the seat to be raised. Also, a large wire basket was attached to the front, and air pressure in the tires was checked.

On my bike, the back brakes were not working, the back wheel had a distinct wobble in it, and I needed a kickstand and a basket. A new cable was installed to the back brakes and they were adjusted and lubricated. The front brakes were also adjusted and lubricated. The wobble in the back wheel was removed by a process of tightening and loosening wheel spokes. A great new kickstand was attached as was my new basket. The basket on my bike required considerable additional work as the handlebar shaft was a larger diameter than normal. The basket ring bracket that needed to be fit over the shaft was too small. No problem! The two young fellows who worked on our bikes took turns hand-filing the inside of the ring until it was large enough. Finally, air pressure in the tires of my bike was adjusted.

The two employees worked on our bikes for about forty minutes. They were constantly smiling and friendly while performing their services.

The final bill for all the new parts and equipment and labor was 930 pesos, approximately $47.

So what about that bike shop in Canada? Neither of the employees, the one at the counter who listened to my problem and the one who actually repaired the flat tire, were very friendly. It was a routine request handled in a cold, routine manner. The flat tire took nearly an hour to get repaired and I was charged $27.

The shop here may not look very fancy, and some of the work takes place on the dirt outside the shop entrance, and one of the employees wasn’t even wearing shoes, but the experience here in Uruguay was much more enjoyable and much less expensive.

Just one more nice thing about living in Uruguay.