The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike) Part 1071 by Angharad Copyright © 2010 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

Billie and I came back from our ride. She was doing quite well, another ten miler and I pushed the speed a little on the way back. We collected Trish on her mountain bike and we went off again. I spent a little while with Trish explaining how the gears worked as her previous bike had none, being the single speed Barbie thing. I also had the saddle on its lowest setting and she was just able to reach the pedals.

Billie and I used Trish’s ride as a warm down, she was working hard to make much more than ten miles an hour, and I thought she’d get fed up but she didn’t. We did five miles in a circle and she agreed it was enough when we arrived back at the house.

When we got there Danny was busy pumping up the tyres on Stella’s bike, which he could just ride with the saddle down low. I also moved it forward for him. “I hope she said you could borrow her bike, because your perfectly good one is over there.”

“Yes, she said I could try it–I’ve never ridden a racer, can we give it a go, Mum?”

The other two were tired by now and I nodded. I gave him a quick run over the gears and brakes, he’d never used flight deck compatible ones before–these are combined brakes and gear changer levers–the brake levers push sideways to either raise or lower the gears, and the brakes are conventionally pulled to stop the bike. I have problems with these sometimes because my hands are small.

Danny picked up the mechanics of the system quite quickly, as had Trish with the idea of gears–I know some adults who seem unable to work out how to ride with gears, which like a car you change up or down depending upon engine noise, or the engine driving the bike, your legs and body. If it’s going too easy go up a gear, if it’s too hard go down a gear or more. If you want to go faster pedal harder or go up a gear and so on.

I took Danny out for the same ride I’d done with Billie and he coped quite well, he said he was game for next time. Finding him some shorts wasn’t going to be easy locally, so when I had a spare few minutes I’d look on the internet. Having said that he seemed to cope with the saddle with no problems so maybe until we rode further, he wouldn’t need padded shorts. I rarely ride without them, but then, my modified bits can get a bit tender on a race type saddle.

At about ten thirty, just after I came out of the shower, I was called downstairs to receive a bouquet of flowers from Paget’s Bikes (est 1976), for saving their stock. I was rather pleased and sent them an email thanking them.

“They coulda given you a bike, Mum,” grumbled Danny as he read the card attached to the flowers.

“They could also have given me nothing, I didn’t ask for anything, which reminds me, I owe them for two tyres. I’m going to check on the dormice at the uni, anyone coming?”

How can I explain six children following me through the staff entrance? They all wanted to come. It was a warm day and I managed to find a torpid one for them to each hold for a few moments before we put it back into the nest box in the breeding area.

Gloria was on duty that day and she looked aghast at all my group. While they were busy counting things, I spoke with her. “Are they all yours?”

“Fraid so, I’m going to see if I can trade them in at the monkey house later.”

“How do you cope with six kids?”

“Some days better than others, on a bad one I have seven if you include Simon.”

“I hear you’re talking about coming back in October,” Gloria checked the validity of the grapevine.

“That’s the plan, I’m also trying to do the start of the harvest mouse film and organise a wedding blessing up in Scotland.”

“What’re doin’ with all that spare time?”

“Trying to get back to some cycling fitness.”

“Oh, so when’s the blessing?”

“I haven’t actually arranged a date yet but before the start of term and after the midges have gone over.”

“Oh.”

“I’ve got my dress, so that’s one thing sorted. Simon is looking after the kilt for Danny, and Stella and I will sort out the bridesmaids soon, I hope.

“How many are you having then?”

“One, two, three, four, five plus another possible.”

“Six–crikey, I’d be lucky to afford two.”

“Not set a date then?”

“No, we can’t afford it.”

“How much do you need?”

“Cathy, I have no idea–depends where we go for the wedding and the honeymoon.”

“Would you consider somewhere like Southsea for the wedding?”

“Of course I would, but where?”

“A hotel–I know the owner, I’ll see if I can get you a special rate.”

“I’ll have to speak with Neal, but I’m sure he’d be happy.”

“If you want a church wedding, I can’t help but a hotel I can, and I suspect I can get at least twenty per cent off the usual price, and the food is delish. Keep an eye on the kids, while I make a phone call.”

I spoke to the general manager of the hotel and explained my predicament–well Gloria’s. He recognised me and told me that depending upon the actual date he could offer between twenty and forty per cent discount. I thanked him and went back to Gloria. She was suitably impressed and promised to get back to me. I told her it was the manager she needed to see and she took the phone number.

By now the kids were getting a little bored, even dormice won’t entertain them for very long unless they’re running about. I noticed a couple of youngsters climbing up some wire inside the cage and Mima let go one of her ear shattering laughs. I didn’t realise dormice could move so fast.

Before we came out, I’d asked Stella to research available dates up in Scotland for our nuptials. When we got back, she’d left a list of dates on the fridge door. Apparently, she’d taken Puddin’ to the baby clinic–which was the first I’d heard of it.

I glanced at the list and crossed out one immediately. “What’re you doin’, Mummy?”

“Looking at dates to go up to Scotland.”

“Why did you cross that one out?”

“Same week as the Tour of Britain.”

“Oh, what’s that?” Billie ducked as I pretended to swipe her.

“Can we go and see some?”

“The race?”

“Yes, Mummy, the race.”

“Perhaps, you might be in school then.”

“Who might be in school, Mummy?” Big ears arrived.

“You and Billie.”

“When?”

“Trish, when the Tour of Britain bike race is on.”

“Oh–can’t we go and see some?”

“I don’t know if you’ll actually enjoy it–there’s a lot of standing round and the race comes through quite quickly–whole thing passes through in fifteen or thirty minutes.”

“Is Wiggley Braddings riding?”

“Do you mean Bradley Wiggins?”

“I might, and the boy racer.”

“Boy racer?” I looked blankly at her.

“The book you bought the other week.”

“Oh, Mark Cavendish, you mean?”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

“Winner of fifteen stages in the Tour de France.”

“Is that good, Mummy?” Trish looked at me with genuine curiosity.

“I’ll say; it’s twice as many as any other British rider has achieved.”

“So, will we see him, Mummy?”

“No.”

“Is he that fast?”

“Perhaps, I suspect some of the other riders think so. But, he won’t be there, he’ll be riding in America.”

“Oh, poo.”

“Geraint Thomas will be there–he’s an Olympic gold medallist.”

“Is he fast?”

“Oh yes, very fast especially when he’s riding team pursuit.”

“What’s that, Mummy?”

I knew I shouldn’t have said anything, oh well, here goes. “You know when you see them riding in groups around a velodrome...”