That's the other reason I haven't blogged. The computer doesn't fit in my back pack. Dude wanted to do more riding so off we went . After 25kms and a hefty hail storm we came home , bedraggled but triumphant .
This is a pic of us returning. I'm not smiling - it' a grimace!
I thought, Wow! 25KMs! I'm fantastic. so fantastic that when Dude said lets go a Group Ride , I thought no worries. Famous last thoughts.
I turned up on my old ' bike with a basket' 'cos our better one had a puncture. Surrounded by the older generation in Lycra , my 'bike with a basket' stood out. It's brakes didn't work well, the gears didn't shift and I was lagging behind puffing. Not a pretty sight. Luckily I was able to stop at Bike SA and get to borrow one for the day.
Now most who know me , also know that I hate driving around. Imagine how surprised I was to get to Morialta Falls on a bike. I avoid driving that far! Anything over 5 kms needs a packed lunch. By the end of the day we must have ridden over 50 kms. I swapped the bikes back and had to ride home on the 'bike with a basket'. Never again. I didn't think I was going to get home. The last 5 kms I had to help my legs by pushing on my knees. Leave me here Dude! Save yourself! But I did make it .
Since then I've been trying to buy a bike. 3 months and 3 times I've gone and come home empty handed. Why was it so hard! There is so much choice and it's not as simple as price. There are mountain bikes, road bikes, hybrids which I was informed are not good to use off road. I'd go in thinking yep this is the bike I want only to find out that it's not the bike I want!! There's different tyres, different brakes , lights etc etc etc arrghghh
But Today was the day!
This is it! Oh and Mnm's arrived a few days later. My next thing to save for is a little trailer so I can use it for shopping.
Mine's the pinky one.( not my favourite colour, but who cares) Mnm's has a larger frame and is a lovely frosty, bluey, greeny colour.
The best advise to choose which bike, was in the Australian Cyclist Magazine (one of the early 2008 editions) where they compared 6 different bikes. Really good. I could understand most of what they said.
But best of all I fitted some straps in MnM's tyres to help stop 3-cornered jack punctures. I feel right smug.
(Until the brakes go wonky and I'm deperately trolling the internet for advise on You tube ! Oh and by the way to those doing films on Youtube - FILM WHAT YOU ARE DOING - It's so frustrating to hear " Oh and you do this and that and..." but I can't see what you're doing. If I knew what you were doing , I wouldn't be watching the ruddy You tube, would I??!!!
Enough ranting.
Now it just needs a little basket to finish it off, don't you think : )
Huggs Little Ma
PS I am knitting really ,truly but I'm also frogging lots so there isn't too much to show.
