Confession. This is my first blog post. I've tried Facebook and I'm rubbish at that. I don't want to be poked and I'm not happy to have so many friends to feel guilty about. But I love cycling so I'm going to write about it here, just for the fun of it.
These have been my bicycles. Assorted trikes, scooters, a green thing with stabilisers and then my sisters Raleigh Pavemaster. First tryout she rode it into a parked car, threw it to the floor and that was that - mine.
1973 - A chopper, but not the classic Raleigh. Damn you parents! Towed a trolley of newspapers with it though and made a small fortune as a teenager.
1976 - A Dutch racing bike. Few memories of this one, except crashing it on black ice Christmas morning. Oops.
1979 - A Dawes Galaxy - beautiful, and I was proud. So proud, that three years later I happily loaned it to a mate at college and he had it nicked. It had randonneur handlebars - I thought that sounded good.
College years - various secondhand heaps. After the loss of my beloved Dawes I couldn't commit.
1986 - First teaching cheque and a Muddy Fox Adventurer - hurrah! Suddenly I was cool as so few people owned them at that time.
1998 - Muddy Fox nicked from the garden. Twice bereaved now, but the shape of things to come
1999 - GT Airsteam. A more upright ride due to a pinched nerve in the neck.
2006 - Neck better and a Scott Voltage Mountain bike - back in business!
2007 - Specialized Langster singlespeed - and the start of a new chapter.
2008 - Cannondale Synapse Tiagra - now a proper roadie, complete with bibshorts, cleats and shoe covers.
2010 - Specialized Roubaix Comp full carbon frame. A beautiful bike from my Beautiful Wife Jo on my fiftieth birthday.
Lots of bikes (I still have the last five) and plenty of stories. With loads more riding to come. And, actually, I'm not that fat.
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