suffering

I hate weekends, mainly because they make the start of the week that much harder. Had a trek to Denton, straight down hyde road into a bloody headwind and my legs stopped working. I blame this on the weekend, on parking my bum for too long watching Star Trek. Manchester Messenger Company may soon be going 24/7 at this rate. Bring the pain...

cops off bikes.

this article caught my attention this week. Some people say it's madness, that it's PC gone mad and the nanny state is on the rides. Personally, after witnessing the shocking cycling skills displayed by the law I think that no police or community support officer should ever be allowed to even look at a bike without training. Remember, many people think that coppers set an example for the rest of us to follow, so when they see a copper wobbling all over the road, behaving timidly in traffic, or riding on the pavement (I've seen it. They can't get from Stockport Road to Plymouth grove without using it.), they think that that's how all cyclists are supposed to ride. This is a dangerous attitude and I believe contributes to some of the beeping and shouting that goes on when cyclists exercise their rights (i.e. not riding in the gutter.)

I used to teach cycling proficiency to 11 year olds, so I know a bit about what I am talking about.
The worst thing you can do is cycle timidly and defensively. You need to be assertive and confident and these coppers are not. Hopefully the situation will improve. Doubt it though.

By they way, you'll never catch anyone riding those crappy mountain bikes.

Energy Food

This just in: Peanut Kit Kat Chunkies @ £1 for six from Asda. get them before I do.

Grin and Bear it.

Like the muppet i am, after staying up all night watching the wire and the shield, I forgot to attach my mudguard to my bike. I knew it was going to rain, cos I could smell it. (All good cyclists can smell rain, a bit like farmers.) I had that familiar tang of ozone on my tongue so I knew that I was in for some prolonged drizzle. i had also foolishly opted for the cut off jeans, so before long my bum was a bit wet. blue jeans tend to show everyone else that your bum is a bit wet, so it was necessary to come home and change. (though the mudguard is still lying around.)

This is a regular thing. I have an aversion to waterproof clothing because:

1) I remember the great sprayway/naff naff debate of the early nineties and still have no wish to take sides.

2) Its noisy

3) I am a bit of a masochist

The third point is the relevant one. I actually like being a bit wet. madness, I know, but I wear my soggy jeans as a status symbol. They are a point of pride, as if to say; 'yes, my arse is numb, but I'm so tough I don't care.' I'm not saying waterproofs are for wimps, I'm saying that cycling toughens you up, so eventually you won't need to spend sixty quid on a pair of overtrousers and you can put the money to better use at the bar. Incidentally, I actually bought a pair of overtrousers for days when I'm feeling a bit soft. I paid £20, plus £2 for a pair of bicycle clips. I put the £38 I saved to very good use...

(It must be noted that, although I have bought overtrousers, I have only wore them once. My credability is safe.)

First Post

Manchester Messenger Co are bicycle couriers operating in, believe it or not, Manchester. For those of you who don't know, Manchester is not exactly a hot bed of bicycle courier activity. There are a few races, and people go out to the Sand Bar to drink expensive German Lager and compare rims, but the Average Joe is very surpised to learn that bike couriers exist in this city. Well, we do. And now we're going to tell you about it...