The Virgin Bicycle Diaries

Provocative huh??  What? What is this gal doing for all that is holy?

Let's start with a flashback...

Late 70's-80's (that's in the 1900's)

I'm cruising with my navy blue banana bike, basket and Donald Duck bell. Cruising along the TCH (Trans Canada Highway) where I mostly rode my bike.  Now before panic ensues it was in Little Rapids, NL.  Population 100. Traffic was spotty at best but I do admit to playing chicken with a 18 wheeler more than once (DO NOT do this kids, you will lose).  Some boys took my bike, did some jumps and broke the frame.  Fast forward and a light blue 10 speed came into the picture, but at 15, I abandoned the bike.  It involved biking, spotting a cute boy and a curb... But I digress.

Fast Forward to 2013

I decided I wanted to bike.  Why? Because I want a motorcycle. If I can't hold up a bike, chances are good I am going to be crushed when I am driving a motorcycle.  So I send out a plea to twitter and houseofpickles (if you live on twitter you get it) had a spare bike in her basement. Off I went, picked up the bike and brought it home.  After some hard work and some bright pink sparkly tassels I was ridin'.

Tassels!!

First Bike ride in 25 years
With the exception of the 4 year old who brazenly cut me off and the devious parked car, I survived.  Honestly, it's not like riding a bike - they're damned liars. There are roads and cars and other cyclists and children running hither and yon!  But yet I tried again.

The next evolution of cycling as we know it....

I never said I was rational so one day on the Link bus to work I decided to rent a bike at lunch and take it for a spin on the waterfront.  I booked it, had my flats on and off I went.  Wait - there's more to the story.  The lovely lady at I Heart Bikes Halifax mentioned tracks on Marginal Road, I listened intently and felt OK that I could handle it.  Now... off I went, in a skirt (oh shush I know what I am doing).

Waterfront biking is excellent, I dodged people, rang my bell and pedalled away.  I was awesome!  Here's the train tracks... Cross at 90 degrees - yup.  Wait, I'm too far in the road, turn back and...

Ma'am, are you ok? 
Oh yes, I am fine.
You went over the handle bars.
Yes, I did.
In a skirt.
Well yes.
It was awesome!
Why thank you.

Exerpt from conversation with a man in a Ford Escape on Marginal Road.


Yes, the picture is a live tweet right after I dropped the bike back to the shop, after I got back on and biked back. The folks at I Heart Bikes were great - worried about me, but great.

Two weeks later.
 
What to do, what to do.  I hash tagged (#) it #biketragedy2013.  Concern was swift and supportive.  Was biking now out of the question?
 
Nope...  I took a class with my pal Krista Spurr (krisp131) at the Oval and learned things like arm gestures (no, not those ones - I have a PHD in those).
 
Saucy Biking Minx
 
A couple things stick out. 
 
Confidence - be one with the bike
Right Bike - get a bike that suits your biking purpose
Always have sparkly tassels - to look cool
 
I'm still biking.  The confidence is coming, I won't be biking downtown Halifax anytime soon though.
 
Cheers,
Lori
 
PS, If you visit Halifax and want a great way to get about, check out IHeartBikes.  Seriously, I love them and the bikes are awesome!  They provided the fabulous blue bike in the Saucy Minx picture for my bike class,




2 comments :

  1. I want to make sure you're okay and also laugh. If you're going to get hurt, might as well write about it, right?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Laura... It was one of the best laughs I had in a long while. In all seriousness my life as a leg model is now over.

    ReplyDelete

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Thanks ever so much!
Lori

 

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