A bikecycle seen behind a half-drunk pint of beer

For the past few years, I’ve done the couch to 5k. A health and fitness challenge, where participants pledge to go from a couch potato to being able to run five kilometres - over the course of eight weeks.

I started again this year, but was miserable. I didn’t think it would be fun, but this year it was even less so.

Instead, I’ve decided that this, summer, I’ll be cycling.

I picked up a used Gazelle Vento T27 from Energise cycles - a CIC near me, got the daughter’s bike serviced at the same place, and rode home along the prom from Birkenhead - stopping at the pub en route.

view from a bicycle of a rising red road bridge over dockland

The bike has 27 gears, which seems excessive to me, and is neither a racing style bike, nor a mountain bike. It’s a bike for getting places, and the previous owner cycled the length of France on it before dying in the pandemic.

I’m still going to be fitter than if I was doing nothing, but considerably less miserable! Win-win!

It even comes with saddlebags and cargo straps, so I can do limited shopping.

a bicycle with LPs strapped to the side