Buying a Bike During Quarantine

Not my pic, but this is the Bickerton Pilot 1406 in Admiralty Blue. 

My biggest one time purchase this year is a bicycle. I bought it even if I didn’t know how to ride a bike. 

The country was in lockdown and there was no public transportation. We don’t own a car. I didn’t have a quarantine pass so even stepping out of the house was out of the question. 

Buying supplies was difficult because one had to walk a long way just to get to the nearest market or grocery and the amount one buys was limited by what one could carry. 

I was hoping that by the time the quarantine would be relaxed, having a bicycle would afford me greater mobility. Around June or July, I started looking at bikes for sale online. Initially, I had my eye on a three-wheeled one because—well, I had a trike when I was a kid, but as a firstborn, my parents weren’t too keen on having their precious daughter ride on two-wheels. It took a pandemic for me to learn this valuable life skill. 

But because of limited supply and very high demand, bikes suffered from astronomical markups. Even the Japanese surplus bikes were selling for up to 100% or more of its pre-COVID price. What used to be an affordable sub-2k, you now have to shell out around 4k. These are generic bikes. For those with “brands” like a Jeep or Hummer or if the frame is made of alloy and not steel, be prepared to spend nearly 10k or more. 

There was also a lot of bike theft going on, so I also knew I wanted a folding bike so I could keep the bike inside the house. My first plan was to get a Japanese bike first and learn to ride on that. That way, I wouldn’t be too afraid of scratching or damaging it when I inevitably crash it or if it gets stolen. (Always think of the worst case scenario, I suppose?) 

Then I would graduate to a more decently priced brand, like a Dahon or a Tern or a Crius. These brands were going for ~15 to 20k. I also thought of getting an alloy frame if I could afford it. In my mind, maybe we would be back to regular by end of the year, and I would rather bike to work than go by public transport or pay for very expensive Grab rides. So that bike should be: (a) Foldable, (b) light enough for me to carry it up 3 flights of stairs, and (c) probably have 16 or 20 inch wheels, preferably the former.

Because I didn’t really know anything about bike mechanics, I thought it would be safer to look for slightly or gently used bikes. That way, it shouldn’t need too much repairs before one could use it. “Sasakyan na lang,” sabi nga ng online sellers. There were people selling bikes they took for a ride only a few times, and then letting it go because it wasn’t getting used anymore. The online marketplace was tough though. No sooner would a bike be posted for sale and then it’s off the market by the time you message the seller. 

I chatted up a seller who put his 3 month old bike on the market because he wanted to exchange his classic  for a “cooler” ride. However, his bike had 20 inch wheels, and consequently heavier. (Think by ~2 laptops heavier. I'm a small girl.) 

Then I luckily spotted the 16 inch version of that bike posted the week before. The bike has only been used for 3 rides, and the longest was a spin around UP’s Acad Oval. Seller was helping his friend dispose it. I arranged to meet up at the Ayala Technohub, where one could indeed ride a bike, but also where most of the establishments were closed. I had a friend come and test ride the bike for me. I initially thought if I should still bargain a few hundred off the asking price, since I came to his side of the city. But my friend said given the bike was practically new—as in the wheels still had their “fur”— it was already a bargain. Without asking, the seller did give us a discount. Probably because he saw we were both girls and that he didn’t have enough money for change. 

So that’s how I got my secondhand Bickerton Pilot 1406 in the middle of a pandemic. 

(Soon: How I managed to fight “upgraditis,” or just getting the bare essentials for the bike.)