I know how I got into this. I’d been riding a bit, on and off, for exercise; then, one summer I started biking to work, using the mountain bike that my brother-in-law had given me. It wasn’t far, about 3 miles, and, by mounting the pavement at a few key points, I could get in to work faster than my wife could drive me. Faster, environmentally sensible, and in control: no waiting to be picked up, no problem if plans or schedules changed.
Then, in the fall, I kept on riding. I learned about rain, snow, and particularly the dark. Here in Coventry in the winter, the sun doesn’t come up till after 8:00 in the morning and it sets before 4:00. That means I’m cycling in in the dark, and, worst of all, getting off work without ever seeing daylight. That’s at the very bottom of the year, just as the academic term is ending, but from November to February it’s gloomy and miserable. I’ve decided I dislike rain more than cold. Snow, which is rare here compared with Vermont, is difficult. Drivers are utterly unprepared for snow, and there’s no system for cleaning the roads. While the councils “plough” the largest roads, snow only really goes when drivers gradually stomp it into mucky slush.
This doesn’t sound to me like much of a recommendation, but I liked it and kept on riding. I found out about the UK government’s bicycle scheme (http://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/) and decided to upgrade my bike. The ten-speed mountain bike is ok, but it’s heavy and sluggish. The cycle scheme is great—you buy the bike with pre-tax income; you don’t have to pay VAT—though it does favour new over used bikes, which is great for the shops and the few British manufacturers, but you can’t buy through eBay.
I went for a folder. We had moved offices so that I could no longer bring my bike into the office, and outdoor parking isn’t brilliant. My light was nicked, and the bike gets rained on. Nobody really wants to begin a commute with their bottom on a wet saddle. Yes, you can carry along a shopping bag to cover the seat, but that just adds to the faff. I got a Brompton (http://www.brompton.co.uk/) that I just love. It’s the bike I’m riding in the picture at the head of this blog. I got it from Jonathan Atkins Cycles in Leamington Spa, a good shop that handled all the paperwork (there isn’t much) for the scheme. Now, when I get to work I just fold up the bike, stow it in a corner of my office and it sits there waiting for me. I’ll write more later about this lovely bike.
While I was waiting for the paperwork for the cycle scheme to come through and my Brompton to be built for me (so, all in all, about four months), my wife urged me to get another bike. It wasn’t like twisting my arm, but I ended up with a second-hand Diamondback through eBay. It’s a good bike, but it doesn’t have space for splashguards, so it’s my summer-dry-weather bike.
Then, early this spring, my wife, who’s very fond of eBay, said, “Why don’t you build a bike?” We got an old Raleigh frame with a lovely Nottingham shield on the headpost, and I’ve been fussing with it slowly ever since.
This blog is the record of that fussing.
