Hope everyone is having a lovely Easter weekend. So far I have managed to avoid doing any work at all!
Back to the topic in hand... the Passat Driver bought me a bike today!! :)
It's lovely (pink!) and is very comfy with lots of suspension type gadgets and a gel saddle. I haven't ridden a bike since I was about 9, so the 21 gears are taking a bit of getting used to - I struggle to use 5 correctly in a car...and there's no reverse!!
Unfortunately my as yet un-named bike doesn't come with an airbag, but I do have a very fetching helmet and gloves.
I'll give you all fair warning when I'm feeling brave enough to ride it on the roads!
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If you only refer to him as "the Passat Driver" on what is presumably a good day, I shudder to think what you call him the rest of the time....
Don't get your petticoats caught in the wheel.
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I'd feel much safer on the roads when you are riding your bike than when you are out in your car...
;-)
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Your bike surely must be named the "Rabbit" !
Roger.
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Er...I think I'm probably thinking of a different sort of rabbit (also pink!), so I have to ask... why?
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I'm glad you asked PG - I'm a tad confused - but it don't take much!!
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I'm kinda wondering about the motoring link here... ;)
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Go for it, PG! I'm guessing that many of us could do with swapping the car for a bike for a bit, so I hold you in my admiration - let us know how you get on!
As for the motoring link - well it's spring, and rabbits are supposed to be more active now, so I suppose we all, whether driving cars or riding bikes, need to watch out for them?
I don't need reminding of the threads about driving over rabbits or anything else, btw. The fluffy little things have just delivered my sons' easter eggs, for goodness sake.
HF
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Congratulations on the bike.
The thread, however, will go later today - not really very Motoring.
M.
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Well, it is motoring in respect of one effect.
I feel so pleased that I can still put one or other pedal hard to the metal, rather than painfully try to twiddle two in a rotary fashion as I have not for about 60 years!
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You are on the right track with helmet and gloves. Don't forget also a mirror so you can see which other road users are going to give you a close shave, something flourescent so that the partially-sighted can see you, and a water bottle to replace lost fluid as you fight your way through those 21 gears.
Enjoy.
Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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When cycling down narrow lanes / streets, be prepared for people to try to force their way past you. Move to the middle of the road if necessary. If they still show signs of forcing past you, kick their door hard as they go past. (Make sure you kick backwards or you risk a broken ankle... :-))
The kicking can usually be followed up with an anguished "OH MY GOD! YOU HIT ME!"
I ride my mountain bike near enough every day, mostly offroad but some distance down country lanes, and now will more often take my bike than the car for distances of a few miles.
Don't forget to wear your helmet, even for short rides. And, finally, try to avoid extreme gears, like 1 on the, umm, pedalling gear (by the pedals) and 8 on the derailiurs. (sp?) You might risk damaging your chain and it usually provokes a loud and unpleasant clanking noise anyway.
Oh, and if you don't have a bottle, just drink a pint before you set off. Works for me :D
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Judging by your door kicking advice, it seems you've had today's 'pint' before posting your message Mr Horn.
PP
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If someone in a Discovery / Range Poser / Enormous 4x4 tries squeezing past you in a Devon lane when you're 20 feet from a passing space, you'll know exactly what I mean when I say kick their doors :)
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Whoops! I meant pint of water, not pint of anything else. How dare you suggest I ride a bike while intoxicated....
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