HOT WHEELS

My cycle Sally marks me as a denizen of Cambridge, as an authentic resident, as someone who perhaps lacks the good sense to ride a safe, reliable machine.

Alas, the mark of someone lacking the good sense to ride a safe, reliable machine was quickly becoming the hallmark of Sally. No longer did my charming rattle merely warn pedestrians that I was approaching. Rather, a dangerous clatter and grinding noise drew stares and chuckles as I rode through town. The situation had degenerated from riding a Really Cool In A Funky Sort Of Way cycle, to riding an Embarassing To Be Seen In The Vicinity Of cycle.

I adore Sally, but I had to face facts and acknowledge that a) I have already spent her initial purchase cost (30ish pounds) in repairs this year, b) the grinding noise is most likely a major bearing about to disintegrate at a really inconvenient time, and c) I have no idea just how many cycle parts are involved in the dangerous clatter but I suspect it's a vast majority of the components that comprise the machine. Add this to the fact that I'm cycling to Madingley on a fairly regular basis, and will have to do so in winter, and it all sums up to a pretty persuasive argument for a new set of wheels.

It took me ages to find a replacement, but I'm happy to say that after two months of searching in many, many cycle shops I have brought home Sally's snazzy cousin from back East: Myrtle. Myrtle boasts 24 gears (to Sally's one-and-a-bit), working brakes and nary a shudder. She's a decorous, earthy blue and I've kitted her out with a cushy seat, front and rear storage, a lock that will hopefully keep her in my possession, and lights bright enough to compete with those in Vegas.

I'm hoping all those gears will make it easier to cycle around town and to work, allowing me to be a bit lazy and to even stop building the muscles that are making it difficult to fit into my jeans. Not that Sally has been cast aside; rather, she retains a place of honour in our household and will be reserved for lucky visitors, Rob (because he thinks she's just the bee's knees), and for those times when I need to leave a cycle somewhere overnight; let's face it, Sally's not too likely to go walkabout unauthorized.