Stolen bike seat

I moved my bicicletta (bicycle) from the chains that surround the monument in my piazza to a side street near our apartment. Because of the new leggi (laws) that they passed not long ago, I felt that it'd be better to move my bicicletta from the well-lit piazza because I might have gotten a multa (fine) otherwise. When I walked by my bicicletta yesterday, I noticed that someone had removed the sella (seat). I used to also look at it every time I was at the window, but now my bicicletta is out of eyeshot.

I've had my bicicletta for a little over a year and I'm happy to say that it wasn't stolen or vandalized as other people have had happen to them. Everyone warned me that if I got a brand new bicicletta, someone would steal it and suggested that I buy a used one. I bought two lucchetti (padlocks) and am very careful to lock it up all the time to something stationary, like a palo (pole).

I didn't think to put one of the catene (chains) through the base of the sella because I didn't think someone would want to steal it. Because I had a lever at the base of the sella, it was probably too easy to remove it.

Today, I initially called the bike shop that I go to on via degli Alfani, but no one answered the phone so I assumed they were closed for the holidays. I went to the closest bicycle shop to our apartment on via Pandolfini and saw the man locking up the door at around 10am. I walked up to him, "Scusa, ma il tuo negozio è aperto oggi? (Excuse me, is your shop open today?)" Because it's August many shops all over town are closed and I thought it'd be very difficult to find one open. So when he said he was open, I was quite happy.

I told him that my sella was stolen and he said that he was off to a shop to buy some supplies. He said that he could buy me a new one after I showed him the model I wanted and then install it for me. The price, he added, might be higher because the shop he's going to will be more expensive since it's the only one open in August.

I agreed to pay up to 15 Euros after he said that the price might be around 12 Euros. He told me to bring my bicicletta back before 1pm and then said it'd be better if I came closer to noon as he wanted to leave early.

I parked my bicicletta in front of his shop and stood in the shade. He tried to find the right tubo (tube) to attach the sella to and became frustrated when the only one that fit wouldn't work with the new sella that he bought for me. I had to choose a more sportier sella, which I didn't want, but I had no choice since I couldn't use my bicicletta otherwise.

I stood by watching him try to maneuver the sella onto the tubo. He put the sella up to a certain height and asked me if it was OK. I said I couldn't tell unless I got on the bicicletta. I got on and it seemed fine to me. It wasn't until I rode off did I realize that the sella was a little too low.

Alessandro told me to just go back, but I had already rode my bicicletta home and locked it up. It's not too low for me, but I'll get it adjusted eventually unless someone steals this sella too. The mecanico (mechanic) did replace my lever so you have to now have the right tools to remove it. So, hopefully, no one will even try now.

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