New bikes!

Yes, they arrived! Two very large boxes. Fairly straightforward unfolding them and tightening all the joints. They’re gorgeous!

So we walked the bikes (yes, walked) down to the Meadows. Neither of us was game to cycle on the road quite yet.

However, once we got to the Meadows, we were off. Well, sort of. I’m a rather nervous bike rider, never having a bike in my youth (though I requested one every birthday and Christmas), but on the flat cycle paths, it was fine.

There are a few pedestrians on the paths, and so it was polite for the cyclist to veer off on to the grass to pass. Not a problem (I’d done it many times when I cycled on the Edinburgh Bikes) until, that is, I tried to get back on the path where the wooden edge along the path was slightly higher. And yes, I fell off. In slow motion. Suffered nothing but a grazed elbow and great embarrassment, as I fell just in front of the two young folk I was passing. They helped me up. Oh, there is now a slight scratch on the Brand New Bike! :-(

We were near the cafe, so we walked over for a nerve-settling coffee and cinnamon bun. But you have to get on the horse bike again right away. So we did a few more circuits without incident.

And in fact, I cycled right up our road, which is a wee hill, and I changed gears. Our neighbour came to see the bikes (and to claim the huge boxes for his imminent departure back to Portugal) and sorted a few things for us, showing us how to use the wee monitor thingie. He took a bike out and came back enthusing about it, enjoying the motor kicking in coming back up the hill. (We haven’t dared used the motor yet!)

The bikes have to go in the bike shed, which meant clearing it out - it was FULL of STUFF - tins of paint, rusty tools, boxes of unused bathroom and path tiles, bits of wood, duck food, old broken plant pots. I spent ages clearing it out and filling up the car boot. JR and Archie had gone out for a walk. I will take it all to the dump, but I have to make an appointment.

New neighbours on one side, he’s a cyclist (I spotted his helmet) so I invited him to look at the bikes. Neighbours on the other side also came to look. Robert, Christine and Elizabeth all came by to see them.

So, another go tomorrow. Helmets will be bought Very Soon. 

But I don’t think the new bikes will fit in the back of the car...