Suddenly The Bike was our only means of transport
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Save Money | 18 comments
Photo: Lilies
“Have you got a fiver?”
“No. Well yes. What do you need it for?”
“The man is coming to collect the car for the M.O.T.”
“But I need the car to collect Inca from The Animal Health Trust and I’ve got to pick up my prescription from Newmarket – I can’t go all weekend without pills.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll figure out something.”
I thought and thought and the only option I figured out was bike shaped. I would cycle into Newmarket on my bike. It’s only a six mile round trip. The problem is that apart from a few flicks up the road to John’s shop (a ten minute walk away) I hadn’t really bothered with the bike. Gardening does make one fit but this requires muscular thighs and then there was the question of the razor sharp boy racer saddle.
I had to cut the brambles that had grown between the wheels and pump up both tyres. This alone was exhausting. Finally wobbled out of the drive and started my journey. The road through the village and down to Newmarket is a gentle slope. Easy on the thigh muscles but the slim boy racer saddle was soon making its mark – it felt that I had been molested by King Kong’s big brother. So it was a huge relief when I reached the town and locked the bike to a sturdy iron structure. With rather shaky legs I tottered off to the collect the prescription.
I’d bought my bag, a large over the shoulder and across the body affair. A real cyclist’s bag that had been given to me by my old friend Max, years ago, when we were working together in London. Once again, my hoarder instinct had paid off. This bag is handy as it holds the cycling helmet when off piste and shopping on foot until it’s time to ride home. But there’s the rub. Even though the hills back home are small, they are still hills. Would I have to push the bike all the way back home?
I stopped at the cycle shop and bought lights and mud guards. Just in case there were problems with Danny’s car. This week I’m looking after The Chicken Lady’s smallholding for a few days and the bike, despite the uncomfortable saddle, is a must. I surprised myself and cycled most of the way back home – enjoying the opportunity to examine the front gardens as I sailed slowly by.
Yes, on my return I discovered that there were problems with D’s car – we have now been carless for three days. The bike was pressed into action twice yesterday to get essential supplies from John’s shop. But by the end I began to loathe that razor saddle.
TCL and S drove me to the AHT to pick up Inca at the end of the day on Friday. Thank you so much! And for once Inca didn’t weep all the way home, she was too interested in the horsey paraphernalia on the back seat.
This morning I logged onto Amazon and ordered a women’s bicycle saddle that was one of the cheapest with good reviews. I also decided that I will use the bike as often as I can for short local trips so that next time there’s an emergency I’m “bike fit” to tackle it. If there is a car permanently at hand it’s so easy to take the lazy option. Last night we sat down and worked out how much money we have spent on The Bike so far – original deal £10. Inner tubes, tyres, repair kit, oil, helmet, lights, mudguards, saddle £140.00. Yes I could get an old banger for or even a new bike for this money. But I’m delighted with my bike (which was a good quality bike in its youth). It needs no petrol and I can maintain it myself – in time it will pay for itself over and over again.
And it’s actually fun to ride!
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rrHey Fiona, well done you!
Have bicycle, will travel!……
You are an inspiration to us all, car-less? that’s not going to stop you!
No fuel, no emissions, the green way to travel, as you say, you can enjoy the beauty of the gardens and all our countryside has to offer.
Ooooh, my sympathy goes out to you at the thought of that saddle, you poor soul, never mind, equipped with your new ‘ladies saddle’, at least you should be far more comfy.
Sorry you did make me laugh though, with your reference to ‘King Kong’!
Well done to you for your determination and perserverance, we could all take a leaf out of your book.
Lv Odelle X
Good for you! I’ve been carless (NOT careless!) for almost twenty years now, since my husband died.
It takes some getting used to and, at times, is extremely inconvenient.
Luckily, I have buses nearby. I’m too old to cycle now but I certainly take my hat off to you.
Fiona,
I cycle to and from work, the year round, during summer that’s about 5 kilometers, and during winter it’s 22kilometers. I love it, I wouldn’t be without it. For years now I’ve been wishing I had a bike trailer, then someone abandoned one at work, it needed mending, and now, it transports all my garden rubbish to the tip. I strongly recommend one, you could use it for shopping as well.
You get used to the hills, and I save money on car upkeep, car insurance, petrol, parking, and in winter I loose the weight I put on during the summer
During the 80’s I had a racer bike, and I remember the razor sharp saddle, which got stolen would you believe? The new saddle I bought was more user friendly. I see myself in the far distant future, with an electric tricycle LOL
Hello!
I know it has been an age since I last commented on a post but I have been reading your blog religiously every single day. It is so much a part of my day now that it feels like something is missing until I’ve had my daily dose. Life has been insanely busy for me lately what with setting up my own website, starting up a Wild Food blog and doing my foraging walks. I thought I would catch up anyway and a post on bikes seemed the perfect place to jump on in.
I have a bike and used to cycle to work and to go shopping every day. It’s not far at all (about a 15/20 minute walk) but it felt wonderful and I became surprisingly fit. Then I got a car and couldn’t be bothered to cycle anywhere and started walking to work instead. A couple of days ago I rescued my bike from the shed and after a very short cycle that normally wouldn’t have affected me at all, I felt as though I was dying. Now I am moving to a new house that is about 3 miles from work, which is a bit too far to walk and all of which is uphill on the way home. So I am stealing hubby’s electric bike to use until I know I can make it back on my own steam. Fingers crossed it won’t be too long and I will be back on my beloved Squeaky.
xx
Fiona, that was a class post, and I take my hat off to you. We are about to downsize by one car, and I am going to look out that bike, and fix it. I love how you let life take you on a journey, and then kind of meet it head on. Yay you.
You put me to shame, we just had a week’s holiday in Cornwall, and were going to do the Camel trail, which is all of ten miles on the flat, but we chickened out after realising we hadn’t been on our bikes for at least a couple of years!
I brought us both a mountain bike about 6 years ago, I rode mine once and the result was ladies tiddle part problems for a fortnight afterwards. I brought a ‘gel’ saddle in the hope with a bigger saddle to spread the weight if I chose to ride again I might not have a week on cranberry juice and cymalon. Anyway the saddle is in the garage on the shelf .. along with the bike.. and the risk has never been taken.. drop me your address by e mail if you want it fiona and I’ll gladly send you the saddle, it cost quite a lot of money so hopefully it would be worth it and you could see which is most comfy. If I could post the whole bike I would, purely so I didn’t feel so guilty everytime I look at it in the garage LOL
Funny you should write about bikes! I’m in the process of fixing mine up. I live around 5.5 miles from the city and I feel I will save a fortune on petrol and parking. And it will double up as -exercise- 😀
We went four weeks recently without a car and the bike was a lifesaver. We have a trailer for the kids or groceries and were able to get by with only a few car borrowings for longer trips to the DIY store. I’m wiht you, once you have to ride a bike to get around, it’s surprising how much you enjoy it! The cushy seat is a must! I bought my bike pretty much because it had a big wide seat with shocks on it. Worth any other faults the bike may have!
Bravo! The bike’s ideal for local journeys — I think you’ll be glad in the end that you got it fixed up, because it’s so wasteful getting a car out for short journeys. But I agree, unless you really are a boy-racer, a comfy saddle is a must 🙂