Resilience on Two Wheels: Catarroja's 82-Year-Old Bicycle Repairman Reopens Shop After Devastating Flood

Catarroja, Spain – An 82-year-old bicycle repairman, José Vicente Ramón, known locally as 'Pepito Polseguera,' has reopened his shop in Catarroja after it was completely destroyed by the devastating October 29, 2024, floods. The floods caused significant damage to Catarroja and surrounding areas in the Horta Sud region. Ramón's shop was inundated with mud and debris, rendering it unusable. "I was working on a bicycle when I heard the shouts of people passing by," Ramón recalled. "I realized the water was coming in." He escaped to a neighbor's house and spent the night there. The next day, surveying the damage, Ramón said, "I thought, 'That's it, it's over.'" However, he was determined to rebuild. With the help of friends and neighbors, he spent the last seven months cleaning up the mud and repairing the damage. His shop, now reopened, is a testament to his resilience and love for his craft. "While I can, I'll be here," he said, "fixing bicycles." The reopening of his shop is a symbol of hope and recovery for Catarroja.