So I made a decision. I am going to cycle. I am going to cycle and see if I can ride to work. I am going back on a bike –but what bike? I went onto that cornucopia of information, the worldwide web to see how easy it would be to get a bike.
Oh boy things had changed since I was a kid. You see, all those years ago it was very simple you had three types of bikes – a racer, a BMX or a cobbler – something that you cobbled together from the bits lying around in your dad’s garage. I’d built my own bikes since I could ride, and as the youngest of four, had plenty of spares lying around. Eventually my mum relented and I got a BMX – a cheap piece of shite that I needed to constantly carry an alum key around with for running repairs. Eventually cars and girls took over so my biking days were over so I had no idea what a world it had become.
You have had a WTF moment haven’t you? That sinking feeling as reams of information descend on your head and you think you will never get to the bottom of it? Well try looking at the range of bikes that are now available.
Road, Touring, Cyclo-Cross, MTB, Hybrid, Urban, Comfort, Dutch, Recumbents, Sit-ups, Pull-ups (OK (I think) I made that one up), wave upon wave of different styles,
Anyway, so onto the cycling sites I went to clear things up…
Or not.
What I gathered was that the mountain bike lot don’t like the road lot that don’t like the hybrid lot that don’t really care as they need to get to work on time.
Meanwhile the fixies look down their immaculately sculpted faces and salmon trousers that just show a little bit of ankle at the whole lot.
Bromptonites wobbled, ummed and aahed and decided that they should just concentrate on that bus…
If I wanted to avoid looking like a bear on a tricycle, I needed something sturdy. If I wanted to commute, I needed something fast and comfortable, and above all I needed something that wouldn’t make me look too twattish…
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