Cycling with the boys.

Author:

Beverly Taff

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Autobiographical

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Last Sunday I went out with the 'big-boys' for the usual Sunday morning club ride. Nothing unusual except I was wearing some rather sexy lingerie under my winter cycling Lycra which tends to be heavier and thicker than the lightweight summer kit. The boys do know about me but usually I cycle with the second string group who comprise older men, most of the fitter ladies and me, Bev ...
However last Sunday by an unusual quirk only about 12 people turned up at 10 am so we decided to all go together.

"You up for this Shirley, Bev, Liz?" Asks Spot, the club captain.

"Provided you take it easy and don't leave anybody behind." I replied and both real girls nodded their support for my conditions.

"Well it is a club ride, so the rules require us to go as fast as the slowest rider and to stick together for the Sunday ride."

He's right, the Sunday rides are technically supposed to be a social event generating cameraderie etc. However they have become a somewhat devisive function because the club splits into 2 and sometimes 3 ability groups. Last Sunday Selwyn decided to put his social secretary foot down and force the hard riders to step of their performance pedastal.

There was no animosity in this decision except that Selwyn had to ride to the front occasionally and tell the hard men to ease off a bit for Liz and Shirley. After the third repeat of this action Selwyn fell in beside me and wagged his head.
"The problem is Bev, Spot and Mark don't realise their own strength."
Between gasps for air I nodded my agreement but eventually, Selwyn managed to police the group into some sort of co-operative function and we settled down to a pleasant day's ride of about 60 miles. We finally arrived in Burryport and stopped at our usual cafe to fill up three tables outside on the Veranda overlooking Burryport inlet. The mood is bouyant and pleasant.
I'm carrying a tray of teapots and cups behind Shirley and Liz who are also carrying cups and teacakes while Selwyn is teasing Spot about pushing the pace too much.
Spot is arguing back with more friendly banter.
Well those three shouldn't be carrying so much junk on their bikes. That's what's slowing them down! You'd think they were out on a camping tour not a Sunday morning stroll.
Selwyn looked ruefully at our three bikes to note we were carrying rather more than the hard boys who tended to ride minimalist. He turned to me and smiled wonderingly as he conceded Spot's argument.
"Yeah Bev, why do you carry so much junk on that bike?"
Like a flash I riposted quite loudly for all the club and some of the other cafe clientele to hear.
"Cos I haven't brought my handbag Selwyn, I need both hands to steer the bike."
The club erupted into snorts and bellows of laughter as Selwyn just howled and wagged his head. Finally as we sat munching cakes and drinking tea or coffee, Selwyn turned again to me in jest.
"Are you telling me you've got girly stuff in your saddle-bag as well as the repair essentials?"
"I nodded as I stuffed my face with Welshcake then offered to show him."
"Bet you've never looked at what a lady carries in her handbag have you Sel'?"
His eyes widened then he chuckled again and nodded.
"Why would you be carrying the same as Shirley and Liz?"
An embarrsed silence ensued as visions of feminine hygene floated around the group so I stood up and offered to show him. It was a move that immediately reduced the tension and he followed me accross the verahnda to the bikes. I opened my saddle bag to produce the correct and essential repair tools and equipment I reached in to produce a small pack of wet-wipes, some deoderant, and wait for this, a small pack of make-up which actually surprised me cos I'd forgotten it was there. Selwyn let out a bellow of amusement and turned to Liz and Shirley.
"Now is that really normal girls? Do you two carry make-up as well."
Liz had already anticipated the comment and she was already stepping towards her own bike. With a grin and a flourish she produced deoderant, lippie and eye-shadow from a small side pocket then immediately proceded to repair her lipstick after drinking her tea. Selwyn stood there gob-smacked as Shirley explained.
"We normally do this in the looes Sel but being as your curious, Liz is demonstrating. These are our personal repair tools as well as the bike-tool and spare tubes."
This caused another round of laughter and set the mood for a very enjoyable ride home. Naturally we three 'girls' sat comfortably in the middle of the group enjoying the wind slipstreaming and nattering about make-up.
Aye, Sunday mornings are getting more and more enjoyable even as Winter approaches.

Ride on girls.

bev.

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Comments

Gigglefits.

Though my purse is an over-the-shoulder, so I just slip it's strap onto my left shoulder with the purse itself hanging from my right side. But I don't have ANY saddlebags, so I put EVERYTHING in my purse when riding, including my water. It's actually pretty convenient that way. And there's nothing ever left "loose" on the bike to be stolen by unscrupulous sorts.

Abigail Drew.

Doest'n it flop down.

Doesn't the bag sort of flop down and hang in the way as you bend down over the drops, or are you riding a sit-up-and-beg.

When I'm out shopping and stuff I use a 'camel-back' that is normally used by mountain-bikers, but when I'm outout hammering hard and bent down trying to 'keep-up' with the big boys, a shoulder bag just wouldn't work. Trouble is, I DO carry too much stuff.
A set of slicks, arm warmers, leg warmers, extra club jersey, two bottles of water and a saddle bag loaded with 'essentials'. When I'm out on my own during mid-week rides, I often go totally girly with make-up and everything so the loaded bike is normal.

That's okay when I'm on my own and occasionally I've met other club members who've recognised me under the pink Lycra and make-up. (Like most keen cyclists, they recognise the bike before the rider.) If they're not phased by my appearence they usually invite me to join them and this way I discovered which club members are not upset by my being trans.

Some of the members, (fortunately very few,) accept what I am but prefer not to be seen with me. Fortunately there are enough events all through the week to satisfy nearly everybody in the club, and as I said, I can always ride out alone.

I once 'bumped into' Liz once as she was riding with her thirteen-year-old daughter Abigail. I was overjoyed and elated when she introduced me to her daughter and insisted I accompany them. We even stopped at one of the club's regular cafes and chatted over some coffee. Abigail was fascinated and asked endless questions.

On the following Friday I met mother, father and daughter at the club night and Liz confessed to me that she was pleased Abby had asked all the questions in the cafe because she (Liz) was too embarrased to ask.

Now, on the Friday club nights, Abby is disappointed if I'm not there and always asks after me. Naturally however, I always make sure her mum or dad is around, because trans girls cannot be too careful.

As I've said hundreds of times, I never miss an opportunity to spread the gospel.

dont feel too bad

If I remember right my shoulder bag has a universal knife pliers screwdriver thing in it( really small but not a swiss army knife sorta like a mini leatherman) along with some screws nuts bolts lightbulbs fuse holder.. it needs a cleaning.

My pouch I use to ride around on the bike has at least 1 screw in it and one hose clamp.

Still this is canada here I don't even know if we have a bicycling club in the entire province let alone the city.

Dont you need ...

Hi tels!

Sounds like your a bit like me, in-betweenie is as inbetweenie does. It's strange how odds and ends find their way into my saddle bag; superglue, odd extra patches made up from cut up tubing, batteries (that never seem to be the right ones for my lights - why's that I wonder?) a pair of secateurs, a magnet, you name it, oh ... and a mallet for tent pegs (don't even ask how that got in there!) I suppose in Canada you have to carry 'bear repellant' as well if you cycle alone.

Oh the joys ...

Bev.

I use...

...one of these.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/carradice-barley-saddle-bag/?referid...

Pump attaches to bottle cage. Waterproof top straps to outside of bag. Bag holds tube, multitool, p-fairy-visit kit, good tyre levers, snacks, map and head torch.

Actually no...

I have the straps adjusted so it fits into the curve of my midsection quite nicely and stays there... Probably helps that I actually HAVE a bit of curve there. Yeah yeah, lucky yadda yadda, I've already heard it a million times.

I also don't carry quite nearly as much stuff though. I carry actual essentials only... both for me and for the bike. I don't consider all the warmers et al essential. I also clean out my purse constantly and change what's in it based on where I'm off to.

I use nice fairly roomy and easily molded to whatever you're carrying denim hobo's. When there's not much in em, they compact down quite nicely, but when you need the space......

Abigail Drew.