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I'm an Irish guy living in France. I like music, books, creative writing, art, history, vegetarianism, people, and chocolate.

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Sunday 6 July 2008

Bicycles


Découvrez Queen!


I'm just back in from a bicycle ride. Very refreshing! L and I each bought a city bike last week. So far, we've been used to going everywhere either with the bus or on foot. Now we can go to places that are not at a walkable distance and where buses don't go. We'd been hoping to get bikes for a long time now, and with the sales on and the summer here it was the best time to do it!
Here are a few reasons why using a bicycle is cool.
  • It's fun!
  • It's much healthier than taking the car or the bus. If like me you're not really into running/jogging, or team sports, cycling is a good alternative to keep you active and on the go.
  • It's handy for groceries... I attached a basket to the front of my bike, which already attract a few strange looks. It's not considered a typically "masculine" thing to do in France, but people should get over it. In the Netherlands and Flanders, it's the norm!
  • It's cheap! No need to pay the bus fare as often, and it's (literaly) costs nothing compared to all the money you have to put into a car... no petrol, no insurance, no MOT test...
  • Last (and most importantly), it's eco-friendly. There's no CO² coming out of a bicycle! There are so many people over here that take the car just to drive a few hundred metres down to the bakery for their baguette. Worse, in our cities we have lots of SUVs and 4x4s roaring down our streets, driven by upper middle class mothers with fake tans and sunglasses driving their model kids to the local Conservatoire (the notoriously snobbish French music school). Maybe they are scared of leaving their enclaved suburban homes or snazzy city-centre dwellings for the urban jungle of ordinary people, and feel protected behind the wheel of their safari-style vehicles? I think those cars should be prohibited or severely restricted in urban areas. If you aren't a farmer or a forester, frankly, you don't need one, so give it up!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ah.. ive similarity joined the cycling crowed. The first 3 -4 days left me knackered.. but ive now started to see progress. Got myself one of those cycle computer things.. .as Im a sucker for gadets.. 3.5 miles.. in 15 mins is my average…. Trying to get that down

shamrock said...

Yeah, I've started to see progress too. The first few days I came home knackered and sweaty, but now it seems much easier. Also, my ass doesn't hurt like it did the first day, lol.

Anonymous said...

i found a big improvement... when i got some 'road' tyres for my mountain bike... all very well having a 'off roader' but not when i only ride on the road.

talking of sore ass... i sometimes get a strangely 'chilled' ass when i dismount... im all warm and sweaty apart from a icy bum hole. too much info?

shamrock said...

The icy bum hole syndrome. Classic. It hasn't happened to me in a while though. Thankfully.

The bike I have now is a "town bike" so it has road wheels. I used to have a moutain bike though, and it's true that once you got off the dirt road, it could be a bit of a drag.



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