I really enjoy hearing about all aspects of bicycling in different places around the world. Thanks Don for giving us a picture of what people are riding, what the bike shops are like and what you can buy in them and also the friendliness (or lack thereof) of riding a bike there.
Unfortunately, it's not what I was hoping to hear. I still have this mental fantacy of France still being full of classic old Peugeot, Gitane, Motobecane bicycles, all with lugged steel frames, Stronglight cranks and Huret derailleurs. And I image going there and being able to buy French threaded headset, bottom brackets and 22.0mm stems without any problem. Dream on....
I had the same dissappointing experience when I went to London six months ago. Gone were the Raleighs. Everyone was riding around on Specialized, Trek, or Giant bicycles. And London didn't seem to be anymore friendly to bicycles than San Francisco, Manhattan, or Philadelphia (where I often ride).
I can share stories galore of the cycling scene in China as I go there frequently and enjoy cycling around with a billion other people.
Thanks again Don, and if anyone else has been somewhere outside the U.S. lately and wants to give us a snapshot of what it's like there, I'd be interested in hearing it...
Bruce Schrader San Francisco, CA
===== "Not all those that wander are lost." -J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973)