what a difference a bike makes

having stared lovingly at the beautiful, light road bikes the rest of the group ride I decided to invest in a road bike. unfortunately I don't have pennies spare to buy a £1k plus bike so decided to go for a hybrid, bought with works salary sacrifice.

off we went to Trek Coventry and ordered a pretty purple hybrid, last one in Europe and a deal at £900, I was super sonically excited and a deposit was paid. whoop whoop

in the mean time I was picked to represent HASSRA (our sports and social club) in a 195 mile ride from wales to Stonehenge raising funds for Stonehenge's redevelopment.

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/stonehenge/stonehenge-cycle-challenge/

madness I hear you cry! yep, indeed and, with 3 weeks to go that madness is really setting in now, but having got to know the 12 other riders who are all just as mad, I am looking forward to it.

anyway about 2 weeks after ordering I received a heart breaking phone call (told you I exaggerate) my bike hadn't come, there weren't any left, sob, wail,cry!!!!

But wait!!!!

Trek offered me a womens specific design lexa SLX worth £1150 for the same price, yes please! (name and praise Trek who have been fab with buying, fitting and advising all the way through)

its black and gold and its tiny and I blimmin love it, I am not one for gadgets and loving inanimate objects but I truly love my trek. the 1st time I rode her was amazing, she floats rather than roles, I wasn't at the back of the group when we went out ... I commented that we were having more stops, until people pointed out normally I was at the back and it was me they were stopping for. whoops!

I was then persuaded that cleats were the way forward, I wasn't sure but thought if i'm going to be a real cyclist (a bit like Pinocchio was a real boy) then I needed the real kit... after all I had already invested in padded lycra shorts and unforgiving cycle jerseys! my 1st time on the cleats resulted in a comedy, slow fall sideways. I clipped my right foot in, pushed off and then attempted to clip the other foot straight in, without pedalling. a slow, comedy fall sideways ensued (which my neighbour attempted to pretend she hadn't noticed) what was Andys 1st question, not are you all right? have you hurt yourself? nope..... have you damaged the bike? cheers! luckily bike was fine, I had a dented hand, leg and an elbow that wouldn't move the way its supposed to (and still complains if I'm not careful) 
but next day I was back on them and, have (almost) mastered it.
so now I have the lycra (no pictures!) I have the pretty, blingy bike, gloves, helmet, cleats and a rather useful bike bag.

now I need to master cycling!