Joe reminisces like a codger

Bough myself a bike today – yea, a pushbike. Its been years since I had one, 20 years to be precise. I used to consider myself a keen cyclist but once I was earning enough to have a car and a motorbike, a bicycle became something I just never used. You may also know if you listen to the show, that since moving to Australia, I am once again without a Car or Motorbike (except for when I borrow Dino’s bike) so I’ve become a bit of a heavy user of public transport. After all Melbourne has a great and cheep system of public transport, at least in the city (though many Melbournians would disagree with this statement) so there is little need for a Car. So why did I need a pushbike, hmm well just for the fun of it really. I do a lot of running at the gym so I enjoy aerobic exercise and having a pushbike just lets me enjoy Port Melbourne at a bit more than a walking pace. Handy for nipping down to the video store for a film, or to Coles for a bag of frozen peas or supplies of Freddos for Dino.

Since I bough it this morning, from a great Cycle shop called Freedom Machine, I’ve already explored most of our usual walking haunts. I rode home on it and then immediately wanted to go out on it again, a bit like I remember as a kid, new bike, and wanting to be out and about on it all day long. Already planning a ride down to St. Kilda and back before breakfast tomorrow.

Seems the equipment has moved along quite a bit since I last had a bike. I went in saying I wanted a cross between a road bike and a mountain bike – apparently called a Hybrid – I also wanted a light frame and alloy wheels – it seems that these are bog standard now. Hmm all the trick bits I had wanted in the past seem to be standard equipment. The gears have changed as well, just the push of a button or two now, the up one for up and the down one for down, no having to get used to the feel of the gear slotting in as you slide the changer anymore. And centre pull breaks, all changed. I’ve got disk breaks on this bike – and woo can they stop the thing. Bike pumps now work in both directions, the in and the out stroke both pump air into the tires!

Also seem that there is a load of additional equipment that can be bought, the store has a café attached to it, so you can sit and have a latté and ponder the benefits of seamless chamois lined ‘knicks’. Yup, they don’t call em cycling shorts they are called Knicks. Its also been suggested that these be worn without underpants, and possibly with lubrication on the chamois! Now we are talking!!! I’ll let you know how I get on, if I get a pair or six.

Just time for another quick bikeride before Dino gets home from work.

[joe]