Korça Bazaar Biker/ A life dedicated to the craft

2023-12-14 18:59:00, Qyteti im CNA

The old craftsmen of the Korça Bazaar seem to be very few left in this area. CNA TV brings a very special character to the viewers, a cyclist who has shown the peculiarities of the profession, as well as the difficulties of the trade.

Lorenc Pepellashi, about 50 years old, has a life dealing with fixing bicycles in Korça, a job he does with great passion even though it brings little income to the family. He says that he inherited his craft from his father, who has been a cyclist all his life.

"I inherited it from my family, from my father, and for work I also worked with my father, at the beginning we were not working very much as professionals, but over time we achieved everything. We have also made the profession better, more qualitative and other things such as the materials, we have invented all of them since the types of bicycles have also been added."

A bicycle is a type of vehicle that evolves over the years, almost every year a new bicycle is released on the market.

Korça Bazaar Biker/ A life dedicated to the craft

"Every year a new type of bike comes out, something new comes out. The evolon bike has been with one crown, it has been made with many crowns. It was with pedals, it was made with drums. There is no end to bicycles for now, new ones are always coming out."

But does this evolution of bicycles make Lorenzo's job more difficult?

"It's normal that the work gets difficult because they also bring the latest bikes to the store, and you can't find the parts, but we try to complete them and find them so that nothing is missing. Our city today does not lack anything, everything is complete for the types of bicycles that have entered."

In recent years, convenience is more important for citizens, but this causes them to leave behind the use of bicycles.

"Most of them have left, it is not that youth that is behind the bike. There are, not that there aren't, even bike enthusiasts, but not enough. Our city is a city where you can get to work by bike, but here people want to be more comfortable. They use the car more."

Korça Bazaar Biker/ A life dedicated to the craft

For Lorenci, the profession of fixing bicycles that he does in his shop in the city's Old Market has its difficulties.

"For me, the easiest and most difficult thing is gluing the tire, which I do in the shop. It takes more time, and you get paid less than you should. The most difficult is always the middle axle, it is the center one because it is difficult to disassemble and then to be assembled it must be registered to have longevity.

To repair a bike depends on the defect it has. I work from 7 am to 3 pm. Then I help people in the afternoon if society, clients call me, and we help them."

Among other things, Lorenci emphasizes the fact that the craft of cycling is very beautiful, but it brings little income. Although he does a great job for bike enthusiasts, he says the income is small. But passion keeps his profession alive.

"Korça is a cold city, but we are still available at any time. According to the situation, it's really not worth it, but I have a passion for the bike, I can't part with it. I have all the bike related things.

Most of them are kind, every house has a bicycle but it is not widely used. Old people use bicycles, young people are passionate about cars."

Lorenc Pepellashi has been keeping his activity open for years in a shop at the entrance of the bazaar, becoming part of the bicycle trade. In addition to repairing defects, Lorenci has released several types of bicycles for those who are passionate about them. For all those interested, CNA TV made available its phone number 0686594824./ CNA TV