No Importance

An announcement of no importance:

My flatmate N and I took part in a guided bike ride into the center of the city today. We woke at 6am, rode our bikes to the meeting point at 7am and have been out riding around ever since. Six hours later, we were both surprised to find that we were TIRED.

I rode my bike for SIX HOURS!


Go me!

Replacement Bikes

Today we went back to Bike Works, my favorite bike shop, in hopes of picking up two bikes that had been fixed up for us. The new-to-us used bike buying was half successful today- My flatmate came home with a nice bike, but the one I went back for needed some more work done to it. They offered me another one but it wasn't quite the right size. I was a little let down.

The shop is couple of miles away from our flat, and I didn't want my friend to have to walk her new bike back simply because I hadn't found one, so I offered to walk back alone so that she could ride back. The guys at the bike shop overheard and in a moment of pity over our stolen bikes, offered to loan me the bike I had tried out today!

So we rode away with two bikes, only one of which we paid for, with plans to go back on Wednesday (my birthday) to go try out the bigger bike. :)

We rode home along the canal and through Victoria Park and it felt so good to be riding again. In the week I had my bike I had become rather addicted.

I can't wait to go back on my birthday and try out another bike!

Bikes Be Gone

Today my flatmate and I both had our bikes stolen while we were having a drink in the pub a few streets away.

We came outside excited by our day and our new found comfort riding in real traffic, only to find that the rack where we had chained our bikes was empty. I felt numb, and then sick, and now I'm just sad and pissed off.

We are going to do everything we can to try and find our bikes. We will go to all the 2nd hand bike shops to ask if bikes matching our descriptions were sold to them yesterday. We also filed a police report, even though we know they won't do anything about it (despite the CCTV cameras pointed directly at the place where we locked our bikes up).

It feels like someone took away the symbol of my new freedom to go where I want to go. It really shook me up for a few hours. Somehow it will all work out, I am sure of it. But right now it just feels shitty.

:/



goodbye little bikes.

Growed Up

Today I bought a bike. My flatmate and I rode around Victoria park for hours enjoying the sunshine and the inevitable feeling of freedom that comes with having control over your means of transportation.

We then rode along the canal back home, and around our neighborhood. All in all I'm guessing we rode more than five miles today! Go team!

Then, a few hours later, in the cafe/vintage shop that is quick becoming our new favorite haunt I found an amazing piece of vintage art from the 20s. And seeing how much we loved it, the owner (who seems oddly fascinated with the fact that we are two girls originating in two of England's bastard children countries, living in London) cut the price in half for us. We had to say yes. With our birthdays only a week apart, and upcoming, we decided to call it Our Birthday Gift to ourselves.

We bought art. And ghetto bikes. I'm an adult. And a little hipster biker chick.