I finally got round to buying a bike yesterday.
I felt enough time had passed so this wouldn't look like I was bowing down to the terrorists, but I thought I detected a hint of pity and anger in the eye of the man selling it to me.
Today I went out for my maiden ride on the shiny new bicycle and headed down to the gym for a swim (they have replaced the inferior replacement girlfriend with a man. What are they trying to say about me? He is nice looking at least). It has been a while since I last rode on a bicycle (
I haven't cycled since December 2002 when my last rubbish bike was cruelly stolen) and it took a little getting used to. I braked a bit heavily at the end of my road and remembered that this an be a good way to fall off if you're not too careful and I also had to remind myself that I needed to look over my shoulder a lot, but apart from that I was pretty fine. Riding a bike is a lot like riding a bike, in that once you've learned to do it you don't forget what to do.
I had made a resolution that now I am a cyclist again I wouldn't do the things that annoy me in other cyclists when I am a pedestrian or car driver. I was not going to ride on the pavement and I was not going to imagine that I was somehow above the laws of the road and choose to ignore red traffic lights just because I could see my way through was clear. But now I was out there it did become tempting to do the selfish things that I abhor when I see them in others. I resisted the temptation and concentrated instead on trying to stay alive.
But later when I went into the British Library I chose to go on te tube to show the terrorists that they hadn't defeated me and not because cycling to the gym had practically killed me and I couldn't face going five or six miles. No. It was the terrorists. I fucking showed them.
