Ode to the bike.

Oh I love my bike. Lovelovelove it. Amen.

(I can't help it - I'm going to have to look like an obsessive Howies fan but the tee above was at the Howies sample sale - the rosary is a bike chain. It's admittedly isn't quite my style bag but I am definitely a bike believer.)


My first attempt at a bicycle purchase was during my final year at uni with the main aspect being: cheapcheapcheap. A collapsible cute mini and brand new bike off ebay: only 50 quid! Biddingbiddingbought. Sent in a big box all the way from China. Had a sticker on the handle bar "no two person ride". Aha. And even with just one person ride it very quickly fell apart on its few outings. It had back wheel suspension that made you bounce vigorously when pedaling, pretty hilarious to watch! Got looked down on at the bike doctors "that'll last 2 weeks!". Oh. And then it got stolen when I ..errr... left it unlocked. What a shame.


My mancbike nr 2: ebay again. This time a Hercules Balmoral 1974. 50 quid again. Picked it up from a Manchester suburb, love at first sight. Undisguisedly Rusty and headturningly squeaky, but rides beautifully like it could go on for another 35 years. And according to the bike doc who seems to like me now ("ah the balmoral!") this may be a realistic lifespan estimate. Yesterday on my ride home I passed some scallies who looked my beloved 2-wheeler and commented somewhat surprised "that's an OLD bike!".



Cycling opens up a whole new Manchester! The wind in my face and exercise wakes me up on my 13-17 minute cycle to work which takes at least twice as long on bus&foot. It took me a little while to get used to being a vulnerable cyclist amidst careless seemingly cars but I'm not even scared of roundabouts anymore (always helmet-wearing nevertheless).


Bikes are ace,


Manchester is flat,


Bikes are life improvers.


Amen.


And these should exist in every city : “Die Radgeber (’bike provider,’ a wordplay on the German word for advisor - ‘Ratgeber’) is a bicycle repair shop in Leipzig, Germany (home sweet home) where the customers repair their own bikes. Germans know their bikes.

(http://www.good.is/post/project-007-radgeber-repair/)

Closer to my own home now : praise to the 'I bike MCR' group! I'm not a member but am planning to take part in the next critical mass which consists of a monthly tsunami wave of cyclists flooding Manchester streets. Next one is on 24/04/2009, starting 18:00 at the central library. Show your love, spread the love.

(http://www.ibikemcr.org.uk/)

Bike trends in Mancatraz (by own observation) show vintage ladies bikes in muted colours (1950s), complete with wicker basket and bell - Dawes have recently brought out a new vintage inspired very lady-like bicycle and an international fashion magazine (Streetwear Today, May09 issue)featured http://www.abici.org/ (photo below). Men's vintage bikes tend to be more brightly coloured (80's) racers. And minimalistic and lightweight fixed gear bikes (fixies) are gaining popularity these days.

Last note: donate bikes to help people in Africa - transport aids development!

http://www.re-cycle.org/