March Update: Bike Shops and Short Rides

It's been a while since I posted. This is mostly because we've been spending our weekends visiting bike shops rather getting out on the bikes! I've been trying to find a new bike that will be suitable for touring and for using on the road. This turned out to be more difficult than I ever thought it woul be!

I had never planned to go for a bike with drop handlebars, so after my initial search on the internet, I thought I would want to go for the Dawes Karakum as this is a ladies specific touring bike and it comes with butterfly bars. Unfortunately after test riding it just once, I decided I didn't like it very much! Also, after having tried Ant's bike with its drop handlebars, I found I actually quite enjoyed it and decided not to rule this option out. This gave me more options, but still surprisingly few as it turned out. My main problem has been finding a suitable bike with a small enough frame for me to be able to reach the handlebars.

To begin with I was focusing on the Claud Butler Dalesman as I really liked Ant's bike and it was a good deal! Unfortunately despite lots of efforts from the guys in the Bike Shed to shorten stems and bring the handlebars within more manageable reach, we finally decided that the bike was just too big for me. So, it was back to the drawing board again and back to the Bike Shops again...

In the meantime, we had been trying to get out on small rides, but we didn't have a lot of day light hours left by the time I'd been touring the bike shops! One chilly evening after an unsuccessful day, we decided we'd go for a ride down to the Swing Bridge and back so that Ant could try his new bike and I could start building up my cycling a bit more. I was feeling really comfortable on my bike, so decided to carry on for a bit and we went all the way down to the Turf Locks. I was a bit worried the light might fade before we got back, but the trip rewarded us with beautifully lit scenes, a lovely sunset and some wonderful wildlife. This is why I love cycling...roll on some summer weather!

Coming back from the Turf Locks was much harder work as we were against the wind and after a short stop at Turf, my knee was starting to hurt again. However, back at the Swing Bridge, I swapped onto Ant's bike. Despite the bike being too big for me, it's just so much fun to ride! The lighter bike and easier peddalling helped me back towards the Quay, where we swapped bikes again so Ant could battle with the small children and dogs on the narrow bridges! I was glad to make it back home, but also glad to be out cycling again and getting on the mend and hopeful that once I finally decide on a new bike, the cycling will get much easier!