I Haz Bike

In other news, I (finally) bought a bike.

Why "finally"? Well, partly because my friend Geoffrey has been hassling me for something like 15 or more years about getting one. Geoff is a hard-core cyclist from way back, does things like riding from Adelaide to Melbourne. I also know a number of the "organisers" (in so far as it can be said to have organisers) of Critical Mass and for a long time was the only member of the Melbourne Bicycle Users Group without a bike!

I've also been know to borrow a bike to go on Critical Mass rides. Oh, I should explain - every Friday a large number of riders gather after work outside the State Library to go for a big, loud, but relatively leisurely ride. Usually around the inner city, usually ending at a pub. Making a point about bicycles not blocking traffic but being traffic. I've joined them on a number of notable rides, including a couple of quasi-legal spins along City Stink segments like the Burnley Tunnel. I taped my etag to my helmet on that ride, so I was the only one who was really legally down there :-)

I also borrowed a bike to go on a New Years Eve ride, on which I met Deb!

The main things that have prevented me from buying a bike in the past have been: Money, never feeling really stable balancing my 90+ kilos on 15 kilos of metal bike, a reluctance to ride in the rain, and my sister's uncanny ability to injury herself on them, usually right about the same time I'm really considering getting one! My sister, by the way, was apparently involved in launching Critical Mass, when she was helping out at Friends of the Earth, but has never actually been on one...

I did have a bike years ago, but I stopped riding around the time the compulsory bike helmet laws came in. That will give you some idea how long ago it was, I can't have been more than sixteen.

Anyway, this is my bike, AKA, The Ninja Bike:


A Felt Racing QX70 hybrid.
BTW, mine looks a lot more cluttered than this one. I've got a rack, mud guards, lights at both ends, a drink holder and BIG heavy lock. In fact, it looks like an armoured personnel carrier...

I'd never heard of Felt before last Sunday, when Deb and I popped into Brunswick Street Cycles. I rode four bikes while I was there, a Diamondback and two Kona's, but the Felt stood out. Not just because it was black and I have a tendency towards black things - clothes, etc.

Despite not actually having a bike, I seem to know a lot about them. I went in there saying "Right, I want a hybrid [somewhere between a mountain bike and a racing bike], with a relatively upright riding position, standard bike brakes [lots of them have discs these days], plus a rack, mud guards, an LED light on the front. Oh, and a skater style helmet." I was also thinking about getting a gel padded seat, but current still have the stock seat.

And that's exactly what I ended up with. Uncanny. Mind you I also know a lot about guitars and bass guitars, despite not owning either. Oh look, a fat Strat. Oh look, a five string musicaman bass etc. etc. :-)

More on the Bike

Geoff, the chap who has for years been trying to persuade me to get a bike, was somewhat miffed that it only took Deb less than four months to talk me into getting one :-)

There's a bit more to it than that, although Deb is the first woman I've gone out with who has been a serious cyclist. By serious I mean having a bike trailer and doing her whole house's weekly shopping with it!

Recently, I've decided I need still more exercise than I'm getting - says the guy who goes to the gym twice a week and who already owns a spin bike... Also, I've been noticing that a lot of the little cross-town journey's I make - to my Dad's place in Brunswick, to Lygon Street - would actually be far easier on a bike without having to fuck around with parking etc. So recently I found myself actually wanting a bike.

I've not been driving my car much of late, in fact it looks positively despondent each time I walk past it. I have a monthly Zone One ticket, which pretty much covers most of my journeys. And now I have a bike, which will cover most of the rest. Cool.

Went on a two and a bit hour bike ride today with Geoff. We went from my place to Piedimontes, then to his GF's place in Carlton, then to Bike Fix in Carlton Gardens (a free weekly bike thing run by some friendly Bike folks). Then we went and watched some bike polo (there's a crazy sport) and then rode, via the Fed Square carpark, down St. Kilda road, almost to my office. Then we came back to Fitzroy around the back of the botanical gardens and one side of the MCG. Then I rode home. Fun. We got a little rained on coming up Domain Road, but mostly it was fine.

La Weekend (A Post not entirely about Bikes)

Friday night, Deb and I did some ridin'. Saturday was her birthday, so I promised to take her out to a fancy restaurant. This gets complicated when you're dating a gluten-intolerant vegetarian!

So. Were does one take a GFV to spoil them? The best vegetarian restaurant in Melbourne, which as everyone will tell you, is Shakarahari's in Carlton (hmm, that name might have fewer a's than that...)

We had some really ace food there, which I really can't describe, except it was very, very yummy. Then we pottered around Reading's bookshop for a bit, as you do when on Lygon Street. We managed not to buy anything. Wait, I lie, Deb bought some kids books for a friend.

Saturday I woke up in Deb's bed. That was ace. Rode home, then drove out to Warburton! As you do. My first cousin once removed Asher Francis Donald Johanson Neil (I witnessed his birth certificate when he was born in the mid 80's, so I know his whole name!) is joining the army, and was having a going away party.

Warburton's a long way from Northcote. I've driven out there a few times, so I knew vaguely where I was going. I got to the outskirts of Lilydale, and thought "cool, I'm nearly there", when I saw a sign that said "Warbuton 44 KM." D'oh! I was barely half way! Another of my little relatives had made a card for Asher which said, in part, "have fun going to the war. Please don't get killed"!

Headed back to Melbourne in time to acquire gluten free bread, to make gluten free fairy breed! Deb had a birthday party on Saturday night, at which there were many such treats. And of course one was obliged to dress as a pirate! I got myself a rather awesome costume (boots, baggy pants, big belt, baggy top, pirate hat, sword and plastic hook. Oh, and a ugly fake parrot!) and spent most of the evening going "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar."

We also invented a fun game, pretending we were on a ship. All you have to do is get everyone in the to sway in the same direction at the same time!

Some of Deb's friend's composed a sea shanty and performed it for her, which was really awesome.

And the weird event of the night: Chatting to my friend Lisa, and mentioning in passing the name of another friend of mine, Tim. Only to discover that they're cousin's or something!!! How weird is that? Well, actually, this has been happening to me pretty constantly theses days. Ah well.

Ok, I think I'm about blogged out. I have a weird week coming up... I have very little on! Yippee! Apart from work of course...