The adventures of cycling…

Ok, so I did have visions of myself as some Audrey Heburn type character flying along on an oh-so trendy – but not too trendy bicycle before I started…

The first day with the bike at work was an unmitigated disaster. Firstly, cycling along the A40 was just confusing – there was no cycle path at all and I wasn’t about to head out onto the three lane motorway and take my chances with whatever Warbourton’s truck was flying past. Instead I spent about 20 minutes hoping on and off the bike to avoid the pedestrians, the street cleaner – although we did exchange a wave and the potholes. Glancing over the other side of the road – I realised that the other cyclists were all on that side. Much wider paths and a semblance of a cycle path. Lesson 1 of the day.

By the time I had made it into work – I looked like I had been dragged through the hedge backwards. My hair was sticking up worse than what it had been first thing off the pillow and my hayfever had somehow really taken grip and my eyes were streaming – the mascara streaking my cheeks delicately. But then as I stood outside the gated complex I didn’t know how to actually get in with the bike. A nice security guard pointed it out – the big gate with ‘for bicycles’.  I was waving so much at him to thank him for pointing it out that I then whacked my head off the iron bar over it – seemingly you’re not supposed to ride the bike through the gate, you’re supposed to get off and wheel it in. “I’m Fine! Absolutely fine!!” I practically shrieked it at the floursecent clad figure who I have a sneaking suspicion was chuckling. But of course – there was another gate. I decided to try and balance opening the gate and my bike, not knowing which way the gate was going to go and by now – I had 2 people behind me waiting to get in aswell…I just knew it was going to be trouble. I dropped my bike, the guy behind me dropped his as he tried to catch mine and we both nearly whacked heads trying to grab both bikes. All I could do was laugh heartily, although thinking back it was bordering closer to manically; sporting mascara stained cheeks and by now a red shiny bump on my forehead before we got the gate open between the three of us. I suspect they think I had been drinking – which I would happily have confessed to – at least then there would’ve been a reason. Lesson 2 – stand back and watch someone and how they open a gate.

At this stage I was now 10 minutes late for work. So rushing I just followed the first person out of the underground carprk to the lifts. Now the complex I work in has a number of buildings. None of which I have been in, except for the one I actually work in but which I discovered that morning, now at 20 minutes late for work – that they all looked suprisingly ‘the bloody same’…Hopping into the lift and smiling at a man – he asked was it my first day with the bike. Relieved to able to chuckle – I said it was. We both joked about it and he asked what floor I was on…then I realised it – I had actually just followed a random stranger into a lift and wasn’t sure what to do… ‘first floor please’! Then I got out and tried to work out where exactly I was while looking like I knew where I was going. After about a further 10 minutes I made it out of the building  and into the courtyard and figured out exactly where I was. Lesson number 3 – Don’t follow random strangers.

On the plus side though, every time I go over a bump in the road – my little bell dings. It was annoying at first until a rather charming stranger turned around at one point and I had to apologise for being rude – by the time I had explained it and we both chuckled – I thought we’d hit it off quite well. Now I don’t take any chances and just ding at most strangers.

So there you have it – living in London is like riding a bike – the most obvious path is usually the best one; you may need help; you’ll definitely get lost and you should never blindly follow anyone. And best of all there may be some bumps in the road – but you never know who’ll you get chatting to…