Getting on my bike
Posted under Witterings
I rode a bike today for the first time in *cough* the best part of 20 years. Gosh that’s such a puzzle to me since, inside, I am only about 20 years old? Puzzling…
I blogged about wanting a bike a few weeks back and I thought a sensible first step would be to check that I can, in fact, still ride a bike. I wanted to try it out with some professional help and advice, and to give it a go in a safe environment where I wouldn’t be mown down by a passing combine harvester if it all went badly wrong.
The power of advertising was my friend. About 2 years ago I found a leaflet in our local library advertising a small company, Pink Sky Cycling, which specialises in teaching women to ride bikes or regain lost skills/confidence. At the time I had no interest in having any lessons or joining their organised bike rides, but something clearly piqued my interest since I tucked the leaflet away for future use. Eventually the time came when I needed them, and it all fell in to place very easily.
So, today, I rode the bike in the photo up there which is hitched on the back of my VW van. Yeah right, in my DREAMS. Alas I don’t own either the bike or the van, but I was having serious lust for Valerie the Van. “Stuff the bike, let’s go for a spin in your van!”, quoth I on arrival. But Noelle, my instructor and now Best Friend Forever, had other ideas…more of a 2 wheel nature.
Anyway it seems like getting back on a bike after 20 years is, well, like riding a bike. Twas all reasonably straightforward and I managed not to mow down any of the cones/small children/puppies Noelle craftily put in my way. Norty Noelle. The only serious obstacle was “Beryl’s Bush”, named after a pupil of Noelle’s (named Beryl, of course) who had a fancy for getting stuck in a particular bush on the practice lane and falling off. She fell off so consistently that it is now known as “Beryl’s Bush”. Snigger. “MIND BERYL’S BUSH!!” shouted Noelle as I hurtled towards it. These are not words one expects at 9.30am on a Wednesday morning.
So now I’m all pumped up (boom boom) and ready to get on my bike and ride it…but I have no bike. The bike I want to buy has sold out and no more stock is expected until September. My choices are (a) wait (b) ride a 4 year old’s bike or (c) ride MrSpud’s bike. None are especially appealing. The latter is probably the only viable choice but it will involve a lot of moaning and groaning from MrSpud about ‘urgh yuck! girls on my bike? urgh yuck’ etc etc.
I think I could really get in to cycling because, of course, I really need another hobby since photography, blogging, crochet and sewing aren’t enough. Once I’ve erased the memory of “Beryl’s Bush” I’ll be off. And there’s be no stopping me. Because a bike in the hand is worth two in Beryl’s Bush. Queue filthy Sid James stylee laughter….
God, I’m totally in love with your photos! We’ve just hired a VW camper for my friend’s wedding weekend. They’re doing it themselves on a budget so were planning on camping but that is clearly ridiculous, especially as they have two kids who would no doubt be knocking on the door. Do tents have doors? Anyhoo. We’ve got it as a surprise and I’ve ordered a sign for them that has lovely ‘Just Married’ on one side and ‘If the van’s a rockin’ don’t come a knockin’ on the other. I hope they see the funny side.
Rent a bike for a bit. You can get some cheap deals then you can visit Beryl’s bush whenever you fancy….
Here we go again! I knew I recognised that campervan soon as I saw it! Noelle is a lovely friend of mine who I happen to work with and lives just down the road from me! Glad you had fun cycling, Noelle is wonderful.
My wonderful hubby bought me a bike for Christmas in ’08, I rode it around very happily…. sometime last summer the sitter destroyed it. It’s now all sad in the shed with a flat tyre and a rusty chain dangling somewhere in snake country. Hubs won’t even retrieve it from the snake pit that is our shed never mind fix it….. when i’m rich again I’m just gonna buy me another bike and he can stick it up his poop shoot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have you finished my silver lining yet missus????
Can’t wait to see a picture with you on a bike!!!!
[...] 2011 stock and it’s very frustrating. But I was gagging to get out there and, having had my confidence lesson a few weeks back from Pink Sky Cycling, I couldn’t wait much longer. So thank you lovely [...]