I like my new pink bike

We got new bikes. All three of us. It was a huge surprise considering I hadn't owned, or even been on a bike since I was about 14, maybe even 13. I know, I know! My last bike was an orange ten speed Supercycle from Canadian Tire and I was probably 11 when I got it. The reason it was orange is because that was the colour they had in stock and I thought it was alright enough, and it meant I could go home with a brand new bike. It was the boys' style with the crossbar which was a must, the girls' was not considered cool. And to this day I have no idea why there were different versions of ten speeds for boys and girls. (Especially when the boys' included what was essentially a rod of agony to the 'nads. Just ask Morrissey.)

We went to our local bike shop to get a new one for our daughter, and on display was this lilac-pink Claud Butler with a deep wicker basket and brown leather seat with matching handle grips. My pupils dilated. A fairy godmother appeared in husband-form and asked me if I wanted it. About a half-hour later, I was riding home wearing an updated version of a retro-style helmet and narrowly missing crashing into parked cars. Since then I'm steadier on it and not embarrassing myself nearly as much, but I've noticed that people stare at my helmet, and I've even been asked 'What is it?', which I cannot get my head around. When I tried the streamlined racing style helmet it looked like my brain was on the outside, and it didn't match the retro style of my bike. Mine kind of looks like a motorcyle helmet I guess, maybe that's what's confusing people. That and the fact that hardly anybody here wears a helmet for recreational cycling, there's no by-law. I have found that it is not hard to confuse most people.

The wine bottle, rubbish and broken bench are a nice touch, aren't they? I hadn't noticed until I got home and looked at my photos. I could have photoshopped them out but I'm keepin' it real.

My favourite place to ride is along the coast, which in most places has a very wide pavement which is a life-saver because I do not like riding on the road. Wussy and proud. You cannot beat it for the scenery and fresh air, and I have to admit in the seven years we've lived by the North Sea there is a whole strip of coastline I'd never explored until now. My bike is already expanding my horizons!

I love these baby blue painted shelters with the ornate iron brackets reinforcing the roof.