My first bike was a beautiful thing. Cream and blue, with gold lettering on the downtube. My first real love however, came later. That was a Raleigh Chopper, the iconic bike of a 70’s childhood. Mine was mustard coloured, a birthday present from my parents, who had somehow acquired it secondhand. As they were expensive, I had not expected it, and I still recall the surprise and joy of it being revealed, in our front room, from under a blanket.
The best thing about it was gears - a Sturmey-Archer 3-speed shifter - that made, it seemed to me, easy work of the hills, and I zoomed around Hendon Park.
My friend Geoff and I cycled far and wide. Out in both directions along the River Brent. We could get northwards nearly as far as High Barnet, hopping from park to park, along the paths that led by the side of Dollis Brook. In the other direction we could get to the Welsh Harp - Brent Reservoir - built to provide water to the Regent’s Canal. This entailed crossing waste-ground beyond the newly constructed Brent Cross flyover, and passing the soon to be demolished Hendon Greyhound Track. The garish illuminated sign of the track extinguished with the building of the Brent Cross Shopping Centre.
My love of cycling, and of the freedom that bikes confer was cemented. Though I have had lengthy periods without cycling, I have always returned, irregularly commuting on a bike, or simply taking weekend rides out of London
I even had a period of competitive cycling, difficult though those of you who know me now might find this to believe. Triathlons and cyclocross, truthfully, the competition was always with myself. During this period, I wore Lycra, and purchased ever more expensive pieces of equipment. The basement was full of bikes and assorted accessories. I suspect that my family did have a true accounting of the cost, but were too kind to mention this - except when very annoyed - perhaps by bikes left in our narrow hallway for longer than was reasonable.
Most recently I have owned e-bikes. I discovered them just before the pandemic hit. All the pleasure of cycling, as if on the flat, no need to change sweaty clothing. My work entailed being in Whitehall throughout the various lockdowns, and I commuted on my e-bike. London was largely empty, so it required less of the nervous energy normally necessary to stay safe from white van drivers and busses, on an urban commute. Down through Hyde Park and onto the central bike paths that now make London so bike friendly and incur the enmity of taxi drivers.
My latest discovery is Lime bikes, the ubiquitous London e-bike hire scheme. They are wondrous. I have already notched up more than 1500 journeys, mostly from tube stations or between Westminster, Clerkenwell, Moorgate, Knightsbridge, Pall Mall and Bloomsbury, my regular haunts. I occasionally cycle home when the mood takes me. I no longer commute on my own bike with all the worry of locks, theft of components, and the risk of flat tyres.
Lime bikes are of course, very heavy, they need to be handled with care. I have learnt to check them carefully before unlocking, adjusting the saddle, and testing the brakes. They are powerful and, except for the steepest hills, are a wholly effortless ride. Their cumbersome frame and lack of manoeuvrability mean however, that one needs to anticipate the road. Potholes, resulting from London’s appalling highway maintenance are jarring, wet and greasy metal manhole covers are a risk. I carry a foldable bike helmet for safety and to stave off disapproval from anxious friends and colleagues.
Of course, the great pleasure is simply abandoning the bike at your destination. The GPS checks the bike is in a permissible location. You take a photograph that is analysed, showing the bike safely parked, and walk away. Increasingly in central London this may entail finding a bike rank. They are rarely more than a short distance away, though often so packed that a single top-heavy bike keeling over causes chaos.
I greatly resent the disapproval that Lime bikes attract from some. Blocking the pavements, appearing unsightly, clustering outside stations, occupying road parking spaces, apparently. Generally getting in the way of their enormous SUVs, or their progress to their enormous SUVs.
I prefer to identify with the more youthful Lime bikes crowd, though I scarcely fit in with my hairline, jacket and tie. I do worry a bit about my more reckless fellow users, and their propensity to jump red lights, and also for pedestrians who, focussed on their mobile phone, ignore bike lanes and the possibility of a bike zooming up the inside in traffic jams.
Still, their lookout. For the moment I am cycling, I am 11 again.
Sorry. I am going to disagree. The Lime Bikes themselves have some design flaws given the number of serious leg injuries (see LondonCentric for regular reporting) which suggest your careful checking of your vehicle. The costs of Lime Bikes are, in a classic tech way, borne by others, whether the outrageous subsidies this company receives, or the social damage caused by reckless parking for example. Above all users are not held to account by the company, and the company is not held to account by law enforcement or local government (though some Boroughs in London do try but are punished by central government for doing so). While I doubt Prof Serious rides on the pavement (on a very heavy, powerful machine) lots and lots of Lime Bike (other e-bike) users do. They are a menace to pedestrians, responsible drivers, other cyclists because they enable irresponsible behaviour. And the lack of observation of the norms of cycling behaviour by LimeBikers provides social proof of the worst kind to other cyclists. There's no visible or observable come back. If you run a small business near where people decide it's ok to dump their bikes (not that you would do that of course but lots and lots of others do), try persuading Lime to geo-fence your property. They are just another tech company undermining standards, wages (the employees sent out to clean up the mess of LimeBikes are being paid what exactly?) and generally encouraging the worst kind of "disposable" culture - there's no accountability. They have the speed and wait of a motorcycle and should be licensed, taxed and regulated appropriately. They were a nice idea but the introduction has been massively botched. Rant over. Enjoy the ride.
Beautiful. But mostly stunned that your parents even entertained the notion of a chopper - I always thought we Hendoners were far too middle class. Needless to say my bike was the worthy but boring Molton Mini.