Big Umbrella on bike.

I thought I was imagining things as this tricycle passed by. A huge umbrella, fully open, protected the driver and his "wares" from the rain. He was selling roasted sweet potato which was cooking on a contraption on the tray of his vehicle. To see him riding with the umbrella fully open was quite a sight on quite a busy roadway. Other small vehicles would have just had to "duck" and weave past him.

Holding the tyre on!

This bicycle was in one of the side streets in central Shaoxing. It appears that the tyre is being held on by some rag. It may well be that the rag is to hold the rather balding tyres to the icy road early in the morning.

The cart is actually a rubbish cart - possibly one of the Shaoxing council vehicles, though I'm not sure. Rather amusing.

Some odd wheels in Longmen (Dragon Gate)

I can only guess that this was the tricycle of a peddlar of some sort. In the basket as some sort of gluey rice paste, and I have no idea if it was for eating or some other use. There was a basked beside the tricycle that had a similar content, but different consistency.

Chairs on bikes

Apparently these cane chairs are made by villagers, and the truck loads of these chairs come into the cities on a regular basis, and guys with tricycles load them on their carts and head off to furniture shops and markets. Some of the loads of cane chairs are amazing - and I have been unable to get a photo of them.

This one was in Hangzhou - not many chairs on board, but enough to see the challenges that the rider has, when negotiating the traffic.

Carting boxes

The humble tricycle is a common "work horse" with amazing loads being carried over short distances. The myriad of different items placed on these tricycles is amazing. They are often overloaded, and the cyclist, (who must be very fit indeed) pedals his way around through vehicular and pedestrian traffic as if he has not a care in the world.

There are narrow alley ways to negotiate - places where bigger vehicles have not a hope of getting through. These guys are really the backbone of much commercial activity.