The New Bike

The New Bike
After fifteen hours of international travel concluding a nineteen day Asian tour nursing a hangover, instead of sleeping through the night flight as recommended, my reaction to the new bike birthday present hardly registered on the enthusiasm scale.

But, after a good days and nights sleep, I leapt aboard the Carrera bound straight for Scotty’s shop to have it fined tuned to my precise measurements. En route I fell in love...my pulse quickened, my top lip moistened as I felt the change.

Quite happy with my current Scott of 4 years I thought it an unnecessary extravagance to change. But now I was beginning to see the error in my thinking. Even unaltered with one foot uncleated (too tight) and freestyling, I could feel the difference in handling.
After Dr Scotty did his magic on it I took off (literally) for the blue skies of summit road.

Charging out on a handful of dates I cruised up to the sign of the kiwi until I was approached from behind (in a bad way). I struck up a conversation with a woman I knew by sight and we carried on over Summit to Redcliffs where she was meeting someone. We were well matched as I gave the Carrera a sound work out psyching her out completely.

On my own again I fell into my own rhythm with lack of competition and pulled over at the end of the causeway to text my oldest at home sick. A lone biker passed complete with bag on his back so I knew he would be off to work from Sumner to town and therefore pushing it over the short distance. Not one to miss an opportunity in the head wind, I quickly followed him. It took me about 500m to catch him on my new steed by which time I had got an impressive speed up and was marvelling at the cycles engineering perfection. Amped again but having passed the ‘meal ticket’ I now led the way. Bagless and lycra-ed up I obviously had the upper hand and had to maintain it whether I wanted to or not. Just when I thought I had lost him he would appear. Hammer down. We finally chatted at the Barbadoes Street lights. He asked “How long can you keep up that speed?” I wanted to reply “all day long buddy! He then left at the CPIT for his job as suspected and I carried on home euphoric on the new wheels.

Having given up one career I was now happy to take up this Carrera. Moving up from the satisfactory Scott to the Carrera was like getting off an outdoor lounger onto a Lazyboy recliner. On this occasion, I will have to admit....Husband does know best! Clever boy.