On yer bike!

craftyone, good to hear from you. Love your enthusiasm.

so I am back now, went at 9.30 and enjoyed the quiet lanes and lovely views, still too cool for the flies, so I could ride with my mouth open. Breakfast was only a bit of toast and nut butter, had to top up with a few pistacheos when I got back, felt too hungry. Now waiting for (yuk) salmon rice and spinach to defrost prior to early lunch. I have to eat whatever because I have a freezer to empty prior to moving. Love my bike, it takes me where I would not walk, love the scenery and the higher aspect

Grammaretto, lucky lucky you with a cycle track nearby

My parents never bought me a bike so never rode one but in later years my sister insisted we hire bikes when on holiday, big mistake. I still have nightmares about cycling on an island off the German coast ?

What a lovely, happy, hopeful post. Thank you SO much for posting about your optimistic outlook and future - it was a joy to read

I try amd aim to get out when the temperature is over 7 degrees, cold is no good for older lungs. I try and go in the morning, before there are too many of those swarms of little flies. I prep my lunch first, to make sure that I don`t grab and eat, which undoes the riding benefits. Today at 10 is going to be perfect for me, 7-8 degrees and cloudy sun.

I have a stand pump and in fact must check all my tyres later, does not do them any good at all to be standing flatter and squashed

Grammaretto- I love Scotland but I think you have an excuse. I remember it being a bit hilly. But summers coming, just go for it.

I'm in Scotland not Melbourne but I do have a cousin there.
Definitely agree the hard part is getting it out and checking the tyres which are usually flat.
A friend has an electric bike and goes everywhere on it. She's exceptional though and doesn't own a car.
We used to cycle regularly with a group of fellow retirees but somehow we have got out of the habit. We have a nice bike carrier for the back of the car but it doesn't work on our present car.
Excuses excuses

crafty one, I left a comment on the wrong message
glad to hear about your cycling experiences. Keep on pedalling.

granny activist, I like your never say never attitude.

BBbevan -Not to outdo you but the man behind us in the queue when we bought our cycles was 82, just looking for his first electric bike. And he lives near Porlock Hill in Somerset, a notorious challenge for even the keenest cyclists. I haven't tried it yet! Well done to your DH. And for you of course taking up the challenge.

CanadianGran, I hope your wish comes true.

Grammaretto - I always find that getting the bike out is the hardest thing to do. But if I get it out in the morning and leave it glinting in the sunlight ready then I don't need an excuse to hop on. Would love to join you but you might be too far away.

I must start cycling again. I used to be on my bike almost every day but it's easy to make excuses like poor health and poor weather.
I'm definitely a fine weather cyclist but there's a great track from near me which leads all the way to the coast about 12 miles. Anyone fancy a jaunt?

the padded pedal pushes are brilliant and everything is woman shaped and good quality

fatladattheback.com/womens-cycle-wear

How nice to hear people taking up bike riding again after a long lapse! I long to have a bike, but it is so impractical in my small town that I won't. I live in a fairly remote town with lots of hills. We have no bike paths, so you would have to ride through town, with cars parked along the roads.
I grew up in a more rural area with quiet roads, so am not at all relaxed with town biking. If we retire in another location I would be thrilled to purchase a new bike for myself!

My DH bought me a bike last year. I am 74 and hadn't ridden a bike since I was 16. It was a bit ' feel the fear but do it anyway ' Love it. And we are lucky to have a wonderful cycle path nearby.

I can't ride a bike, but The Wonderful Man won't hasn't given up on making me try. He bought me a bike several years ago and each time I tried to ride it I fell off. Eventually I sold the bike. Each time we go on holiday he books out a couple of bikes for us - and I fall off. Yesterday he unloaded a borrowed folding electric bike for me to try. It's very heavy and I am already petrified of the damage I will do to it when I fall off.

Will he ever learn that I cannot ride a bike? Or will I, by some hitherto unknown magic, suddenly discover that I can ride after all?

Good to hear you’re still enjoying your cycling

I love cycling, I am only a hobby cyclist, not in a club or anything and don`t do many miles any more. In the years before dh died, we bought me an electric bike, he rode the birdy foldup with me, other times he went on his road bike with his cycling club friends. We loved those rides, used to stop and have a picnic, did 40 miles easily

I have 3 bikes now, my kettler city bike is my go to everyday bike. They are all step though bikes and I like to ride sitting up. I still have my lovely kalkhoff in super condition but now not ridden and my brompton so I can go further afield. Its quite lonely riding on my own now and I don`t have the incentive to use my electric bike but it will be fine in the future, with a new battery or maybe soon when I have found some new routes, after I have moved

It is midgey. Given me a few more years of cycling. I can't dash about quite as fast as I could on my old bike, but it still gets me out and about.

Gonegirl that bike looks great!

Fortunately this is Melbourne and a network of cycle paths avoid all roads. My son would never put his child at risk.

I'm afraid I have to say, the bike with the small child looks cumbersome in the extreme. I don't like to see small children being carried on bikes on the roads.

I can no longer get my leg over that kind of bike, electric or not. I have one of these. Biria bikes