Easy As Falling Off A Bike
by Angharad
part 19 dozen.(228)

Thankfully he hadn't hurt himself nor damaged the bike in his fall. "Hey this is good fun," he gasped puffing his way to the top of the hill.

"So they tell me," I replied.

"Hmm I might have to get myself a decent bike," he said to no one in particular.

"What's wrong with that one?"

"Well it's an entry level, isn't it?"

"If you're going for the Tour de France, you really need to get a bit better on hills, or the mountain stages are going to crease you."

"What?"

"That is a good bike, until you get fitter buying a more expensive bike isn't going to make your ride much better or faster."

"I thought if I got a machine like yours, then I'd be a bit quicker up hills and things."

"It would be such a slight help it wouldn't be worth it sweetheart. If you get fitter and develop a better technique, then it would be worth it. But that is a nice bike, better than my first one."

"Oh it's better than the last one I had," he said obviously trying to recall what it was.

"The thing is, it depends upon what sort of riding you want to do, if you're not wanting to do race type riding, effectively going somewhere as fast as you can, then maybe a mountain bike or a hybrid would be better or even a tourer."

"What's a tourer?"

"A bike designed for riding for long distances on touring holidays, so they're pretty robust, have slightly wider wheels and lower gearing than a road bike, which you are on at the moment, they usually have steel frames and are more comfortable.

Mountain bikes are designed for climbing, sometimes off road, may have suspension, usually have thicker tyres, and tend to be lower geared, so called granny gears. They have smaller diameter wheels than road bikes, tourers and hybrids."

"Mountain bikes have smaller wheels?"

"Yes for manoeuvrability, although cross bikes often manage in the same sort of terrain."

"Cross bikes? Just how many types of bikes are there?"

"Loads, and we haven't touched on fixed wheels or folders yet."

"I just want one that I can sit on and pedal and go for rides with my fiancee. What about those two seater things?"

"What a tandem?"

"Yeah that's the one."

"Dunno, never ridden one, but I believe they are very different to an ordinary bike."

"Maybe we should get one of those."

"I think I'd need to borrow one first and have a long look at it."

"That way you'd get us up the hills," he beamed at me.

"I think that is why I wouldn't suggest a tandem would be any use. You need two good riders who both know what they are doing, otherwise they can be dangerous."

"I'm sure we could soon learn."

"I hadn't finished..."

"Oh!"

"Dangerous to a relationship, a bit like teaching your wife to drive."

"Oh!" he shook his head. "Maybe we won't get a tandem after all."

"I'm happy to get one but only when I know you are as strong as I am."

He looked a bit downcast.

"How long have you got this bike for?" I asked.

"For a week I think and if I buy it he will take the rental cost off the price."

"It's pretty well brand new by the look of it. The guy who ran the bike club at Sussex had an Allez, he used to fly on it."

"So could you catch him on that?" he asked.

"Doubt it, it might cost the price of four or five of those, but he was a better rider, end of discussion. I mean Nicole Cooke would beat me if she was riding a penny farthing. She is good and I'm mediocre."

"So what does that make me then?" I could see disappointment written all over his face.

"The nicest man I know. Come on the light's fading, last one home is a pumpkin!" So saying I clipped in my pedals and slowly rode off towards home, along the top of the ridge, then when we started to descend, I shouted, "BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEE," and cranked up the gears. At the bottom of the hill I was doing over fifty miles an hour, Simon was way behind. The buzz was terrific although my face and fingers were frozen and my toes weren't far behind.

I slowed down, freewheeling for some minutes before he caught me up again.

"That was fun," he said when he got alongside.

"Yeah it was, come on let's get home." Back on the flat, I started building up to my cadence and once more Simon was well behind. I got back to Tom's house about ten minutes ahead of him and he was puffing like a steam train.

"Geez, you are so much fitter than I am."

"I've also ridden with one or two better riders who have shown me how to improve my technique, gear changing, not riding in too high a gear and all that stuff, developing a cadence and keeping to it."

"Once you're fit again, you can show me all this."

"Simon, in a weeks time I am going to lose fitness so quickly it's untrue. Now is the time for you to practice, because once I'm back on a bike, I will be looking to recover my fitness."

"That's not going to be for a week or two."

"Probably two months, but I will get fit again."

"Maybe I could do it with you."

"You'd be better doing it now, it will motivate me to catch you up."

"Do you need to wash the thing down after one ride?"

"Simon, you paid nearly four thousand for this bike, you can see my Scott is in mint condition and clean. I keep them clean because until now, I have never been in a position to have a second race bike, so I look after them."

"Yes good idea, can you look after this one too while I go for a shower?" he leant the bike towards me and strolled out of the garage. I was speechless.

I went in about twenty minutes later and Stella said, "I put the kettle on, wondered what had happened to you."

"I got the job of wiping down the bikes."

"What Simon has one as well?"

"He's rented one for few days."

"I don't believe it, I must get a photo to show Daddy, he'll laugh himself silly. Is he any good?"

"What do you mean? I think he's the most wonderful man in the world."

"On a bike, I meant."

"No he's crap, but don't tell him I said so."

"Nah, I need to get a bike and show him up."

"You are riding no bikes for a couple of months."

"Yes mother!" Stella kept a dead pan face for several seconds then her eyes gave her away and she smirked then giggled. So did I and we were like helpless schoolgirls by the time Simon came down from the shower.