The pink jersey

I own two Pearl Izumi jerseys, both have pink on but one is really pink. I also own a long-sleeved one that's REALLY pink.

As a rule, pink is fairly rare among the cycling fraternity (and sisternity), particularly among those who wear lycra. This means I'm rather distinctive, especially with my bright yellow 'seatbelt' worn over the top at all times.

Yesterday A2 was in town working from a local office and saw me streak past as he ordered his corporate coffee, our company's chairman often says hello when he sees me out and about, children I teach see me and wave, my parents' church friends mention they've spotted me when they see mum and dad at choir practice.

There's an upside and downside to all this:

• The upside is that when I complain about evil bus drivers I can tell TfL that I know I've been repeatedly offended against as a personal insult because I don't look like any old cyclist; I must also be on best behaviour a lot, which to me is a good thing as it often stops me from tempting naughtiness.
• The downside is that when you nearly hit said company chairman because he didn't look when he crossed the road you were turning into you spend the rest of the day worrying that he knows it was you........
  

'I was going to say hello...

But you were going too fast.'

I've heard this three or four time recently as I'm often spotted by people I know when I'm out and about on Reg. Have I turned into Speedy Gonweenie? Hmmm I think not.

I have a nasty suspicion my lycra means people are frightened to approach. It's like armour.

Tandem

I didn't announce in advance in case we backed out but, on Friday, Cathy and I attempted a Friday Night Ride to the Coast on a tandem.

It was the Brighton run (the hilliest one) and neither of us had ever been on one before. I will blog about it at length but it'll take time to find the right words to describe what was a bizarre but amazing ride.

Keep your eyes on the skies.....

A good mood despite the odds

If you'd asked me last night what I would blog about today I would have said that life is rubbish and I would blog about the a*sehole cyclists who continually cut me up on the way to work, swerve in front of me and then get smug about pulling ahead when the only way they've done so is to skip a red light.

Yes, I had a bad day yesterday and was full of the rage.

But that's all changed this morning.

Last night I burned off the rage by cycling hard all the way home. I whizzed through the streets and made fabulous time. Adding to my joy I shared part of my journey with a rather nice young man on a swanky drop-bar bike. He was behind me for part of the journey and overtook at some traffic lights where I was unwilling to filter because of my panniers (they're just too wide).

I was then behind him for a short span and we crept up to a red light together. And he really crept. I sat behind but he saw and pushed himself forward. It was only when we were side by side in the advance bike box that I realised his reluctance to completely stop. He was single speed(they're harder to get going).

I apologised saying if I'd realised I'd have hung back farther. He laughed and said I was welcome to overtake as he'd been trying to keep up with me for ages because I was going so fast.

That combined with the beautiful sunshine today have combined to make me a much happier weenie. Marvellous.