Lovin' My New Shogun

I'd always wished for a road bicycle, but for some reason, I'd never thought that I would end up with one. Upon coming to UVa, I realized that bicycles were an indispensable means of transportation for getting around. Since I still had not acquanted myself with the biker lifestyle, I said I'd take it easy at first as an amateur biker and then upgrade from then on. So, my first bike was a $20 foldable bike that I carried in a suitecase from China. The sight of this bike was laughable and it was always a good joke for my friends to laugh at me when riding it! Whenever anyone would hear the name "Mostafa," they would automatically associate it with the "little" bike from China. Actually, its quite interesting, because after being the first person to ride this bike, I have seen the number of little foldable bikes multiply around campus.

After realizing the need to upgrade after my second year at UVa, I went with a couple of friends to Community Bikes to build my own bike for free. We literally assembled the bike from scratch, customizing the tires, wheels, chains, gears, brakes...everything! Although I took pride in this newly built bike of mine, it was falling apart as I was riding it. Unfortunately, half way through my first semester of my third year, I got in a pretty bad accident in which I had road rashes all over. That's when I realized that I ought to invest the money in something safe!

My old bike parked outside of Community Bikes

Finally, the opportunity presented itself and I purchased the Shogun, which is a sweet little bike for getting around town. I was thinking about buying a car before buying the Shogun, but now I don't think I'll be riding anything but my Shogun. Other than its comfortable ride, I truly enjoy its bright and unique color! What's more, the guy who sold me the bike was nice enough to give me a free lock with it. I can't wait to start riding this bike to classes. This is definitely a nice way to start of my semester!

My new bike, the Shogun