Hi Fraussie 🙂 Really enjoyed this post..I used to love riding a bike as a kid..but that was in a victorian country town..One day I might get a bike again..but it wont be here on the gold coast..and certainly not whilst living on a very steep hill! Hope you arent melting too much in the heat Cheers Jill
Fraussie
August 23rd, 2012 at 8:49 am
Living on a steep hill is not much encouragement for bike riding, is it? We seem to be over the worst of the heat wave. Short but highly appreciated!
Jane’s cousin
August 23rd, 2012 at 6:21 am
My story in schooldays is so similar – didn’t get a bike until I was about 15 after Mum and Dad caught me riding with a school mate doing some banking for the sisters at lunchtime. I think I learnt to ride by riding schoolmate’s bikes home after school.
I could manage to get to and from school just doing left hand turns. One day I remember being “collected” by a car turning down to the state school. The cars then had different door handles and this one managed to hook on to my bike’s handle bar and took me down the street a little way before the driver noticed me. I wasn’t hurt but by the time I got to school was pretty shaken up.
I’ve also avoided “boy’s” bikes because of the high bar but Jane mentioned that trick of leaning the bike over just recently.
Unfortunately at the moment my bike needs a bit of work to be able to be ridden and when I had a bike that had multiple gears I could never work them out.
We probably don’t need gears very much in Townsville although I live up a little hill.
My original bike was a girl’s bike that you stopped by pedalling backwards!! Simple.
Fraussie
August 23rd, 2012 at 8:53 am
I’m pleased to hear I wasn’t the only one who was only allowed to turn left! The mother’s must have passed the word on. I’d never realised the real meaning of being “collected” by a car. Not a very agreeable experience … I can remember pedalling backwards to brake. Now it’s all on the handlebars of course. Jane tells me it’s lovely to cycle along the Ross River these days but if you have a hill, you’re obviously not in that area.
And thank you very much for the green bags! They are much appreciated.
I can relate to your hunt for a decent ride.
Bikes seem different in France than Australia, and I do miss the bikes I have known from there. I’ve been through years of similar struggles in France, too bent over, too small and I gave up trying to find the perfect bike. It changed however when I finally settling on something this summer (not quite perfect but almost) so I could make the most and cycle with my children….it was put to much good use today with a ride out to the apple orchard and a picnic in the remaining shade of summer.
To overcome the sore rear end, my father gave me a good Australian lambs wool seat cover. Biking luxury. 🙂
Fraussie
August 28th, 2012 at 10:32 am
An Australian lambs wood seat cover! That certainly is luxury!
[…] The boy driving the car stops and gets out but I can’t even explain it’s not his fault! I get up and pull my bike up to show I’m not hurt and limp round the corner to a handy bench. I’ve grazed one knee badly and given myself a terrific bruise on the other leg. My pride is also severely wounded. Jean Michel is very reassuring and helps me clean the wound with our first-aid kit. I haven’t fallen off my bike since Jean Michel tried to kiss me cycling along the Marne. […]
Hi Fraussie 🙂 Really enjoyed this post..I used to love riding a bike as a kid..but that was in a victorian country town..One day I might get a bike again..but it wont be here on the gold coast..and certainly not whilst living on a very steep hill! Hope you arent melting too much in the heat Cheers Jill
Living on a steep hill is not much encouragement for bike riding, is it? We seem to be over the worst of the heat wave. Short but highly appreciated!
My story in schooldays is so similar – didn’t get a bike until I was about 15 after Mum and Dad caught me riding with a school mate doing some banking for the sisters at lunchtime. I think I learnt to ride by riding schoolmate’s bikes home after school.
I could manage to get to and from school just doing left hand turns. One day I remember being “collected” by a car turning down to the state school. The cars then had different door handles and this one managed to hook on to my bike’s handle bar and took me down the street a little way before the driver noticed me. I wasn’t hurt but by the time I got to school was pretty shaken up.
I’ve also avoided “boy’s” bikes because of the high bar but Jane mentioned that trick of leaning the bike over just recently.
Unfortunately at the moment my bike needs a bit of work to be able to be ridden and when I had a bike that had multiple gears I could never work them out.
We probably don’t need gears very much in Townsville although I live up a little hill.
My original bike was a girl’s bike that you stopped by pedalling backwards!! Simple.
I’m pleased to hear I wasn’t the only one who was only allowed to turn left! The mother’s must have passed the word on. I’d never realised the real meaning of being “collected” by a car. Not a very agreeable experience … I can remember pedalling backwards to brake. Now it’s all on the handlebars of course. Jane tells me it’s lovely to cycle along the Ross River these days but if you have a hill, you’re obviously not in that area.
And thank you very much for the green bags! They are much appreciated.
I can relate to your hunt for a decent ride.
Bikes seem different in France than Australia, and I do miss the bikes I have known from there. I’ve been through years of similar struggles in France, too bent over, too small and I gave up trying to find the perfect bike. It changed however when I finally settling on something this summer (not quite perfect but almost) so I could make the most and cycle with my children….it was put to much good use today with a ride out to the apple orchard and a picnic in the remaining shade of summer.
To overcome the sore rear end, my father gave me a good Australian lambs wool seat cover. Biking luxury. 🙂
An Australian lambs wood seat cover! That certainly is luxury!
[…] The boy driving the car stops and gets out but I can’t even explain it’s not his fault! I get up and pull my bike up to show I’m not hurt and limp round the corner to a handy bench. I’ve grazed one knee badly and given myself a terrific bruise on the other leg. My pride is also severely wounded. Jean Michel is very reassuring and helps me clean the wound with our first-aid kit. I haven’t fallen off my bike since Jean Michel tried to kiss me cycling along the Marne. […]