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Mai Ki Gonzalez just moved from Puerto Rico to Seattle where he spends his days biking around the city. Although his job bussing tables doesn’t keep his pockets lined, he hits up thrift stores often enough to stay fresh and steezy.

“We wake up and just go, man,” he said, describing a typical day with friends. “We just rode [to Red Square] from West Seattle and now we’re going downtown.”

I was impressed by Gonzalez’s sense of utility. His flannel shirt is light enough not to slow him down, but also thick enough to keep him warm between rides. The red stripes also cleverly match the wheels on his bike, which is a cool, subtle touch. He bought the shirt from the Salvation Army for half price the very same day we met.

His shirt (he calls it his “Jesus piece”) is from the Goodwill Outlet, popularly referred to as The Bins. New (old) merchandise is cycled into the store every day so it’s easy to find something other bargain hunters may have missed.

His jeans and shoes were both donated to him by the new friends he’s made around town. After his bike got stolen a few months ago, the same friends got together and pitched in, donating cash and spare parts to build him the fixed-gear bike he currently rides.

Gonzalez’s tip for other Seattle bicyclists? “Make friends, keep riding, and don’t get soaked!”

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Tags: bicycle, fixie, Goodwill Outlet, Mikey, Puerto Rico, red square, Saba, Salvation Army, streetmeet, The Bins, thrift store, University of Washington, USM