New beginnings

It is now 2020

It is 7 years since I last did a blog and in the interim I have been widowed and now find myself living alone which I must say I rather like.  I did have a lodger at one point, a married professional, ex Navy security person who lodged Monday to Friday and went back to his wife for the weekends.  He stayed for sometime but in the end I told him to get on his bike ................

And so, talking of bikes my dear friend Mildred suggested that we bought bikes at the beginning of lockdown.  We went to the local cycle shop and did just that.  What a joy.  Whilst lockdown had everyone isolating at home, Mildred and I were peddling all over the place.  Who would have thought that 65 years after I had my first bike I would now be the proud owner of 2 bikes!  I purchased the first one in February.  This lives at my home on the other side of the Atlantic on a little island in the sun.  I decided to buy that bike as there is not much to do on the island so exercise is rather necessary at my time of life, and the island is flat, which makes the job a whole lot easier!  I arrived on this side of the pond just as lockdown was about to begin.

There appears to be a certain snobbery amongst bike riders or cyclists depending on what one wishes to be called.  At first Mildred and I set off in our jeans and tee shirts for our little trips but these were not very comfortable for long journeys and gel padding was clearly necessary.  I was minding my own business one day peddling along when a chap sped by, the cheek of it, so I upped the anti until I got up behind him with the specific purpose of trying to read the make of his pants which was clearly shown on his backside! Rapha - got it, then I let him disappear out of my sights.  He looked like a "proper" cyclist so if they worked for him, they were going to work for me.  I duly ordered my shorts and Hi Viz top from the company, which I love and now I look like a "proper" cyclist.  The hilarious thing is that when I was peddling about looking like a pleb, all the plebs acknowledged me, now I look like a proper cyclist, all the plebs ignore me and all the cyclists acknowledge me.  Who knew!

It seemed sensible that at my age and all this peddling, I should purchase a heart monitor device, as I do not want to keel over just yet.  I bought a Garmin.  Well this magic device does the whole business as well as monitor the heart.  It tracks my rides and can even call a named person for assistance if I should fall off and injure myself.  Oh the joy of modern technology.

I retired last year and have time on my hands, and it was whilst  peddling about the countryside that it occurred to me that I should start writing again, and so we begin