The road/ racing bike

~Mark Twain, ‘Taming the Bicycle’
Still on the transport theme, but realising life has so many facets that I’m going to have to move slightly quicker if I expect to cover even the smallest faction of these before Copenhagen, so I’m working through bicycles today. All of them.
Bicycles are such a great option, perhaps the greatest invention of all time, and with so many and varied alternatives, a person has the luxury of picking the bicycle that best reflects them…
The extremely civilized lady’s bicycle:
My beautiful bike is a 1960s Triumph, done up with a flashy new bell, basket, handle-grips, paint job, white-rim tyres, and most importantly a new seat! Granted my own rear-end natural cushioning makes for a pretty good ride, even the most padded of bums will appreciate the pure luxury of a new bike seat.

Cycling up and down the driveway, otherwise always wear a helmet! brains are too important not to protect.
Tips:
search trade-me for second hand bicycles, or ask neighbours particularly those with well-stocked garages. Most people hold onto old bikes for sentimental reasons, and would be happy to hand it over knowing it is going to be done up lovingly.
safety first! check that brakes, wheel rims, chains and any gears are complete, free from rust and lubricated.
replace any essentials as necessary i.e. tyres
check out trade-me, garage sales or perhaps just around the house for boxes or baskets that can be attached for handy storage
I use my Triumph for…
Trips to the butchers at Redcliffs (to be discussed later in relation to what we eat, and where its from)
Taking the Charlie dog for run. It would be totally ridiculous for me to try and run alongside my big black lab.
Small trips around Sumner village i.e. to friends places, videoshop, the weekend market
Occasionally venturing out further in the Port Hills, but any trips much further then I borrow the road bike
The extremely uncivilized group bike-powered bar
Saw this in Amsterdam, not sure New Zealand law would allow this…
The road/ racing bike

sweet single speed bike
Pros:
The more you use it, the fitter you become. How incredible! It’s a gym membership and method of transportation all-in-one! So really, when you’re measuring time efficiency, you have to calculate the trip in comparison to a car in traffic (perhaps 10 min longer by bike in my case), but then overall that’s 50 min I can take off being at the gym. Winner! Gym sessions that would take 55min (3 times a week), now take a total of 5 min, brilliant. Count me in for anything that means less gym techno in my life.