To Vauxhall via the repairs shop...

Enthusiastically set off this morning to meet Clare in Vauxhall for lunch (I'm not at work this week, should anyone be wondering why I have so much time for cycling, lunching, and blogging all of a sudden), when I soon noticed that Rocky (new bike; Rockhopper penguin, Rocky for short) was making a very strange noise. Having got so used to Violet and her embarrassingly loud clankings, I initially didn't think much of it but stopped to check out the problem and realised that the back tyre was as flat as the proverbial pancake.

Irritated that this couldn't have waited until May when I might know how to fix it as we're doing a cycle maintenance course, I wheeled poor Rocky to the local bike shop and felt slightly shameful for letting down feminists all over the world as I lent evidence to the stereotype of pathetic-girl-who-does-not-know-how-to-use-tools. 90 seconds later with my wallet £10.50 lighter (that's about 12p a second) I emerged with Rocky back in tip-top condition. On to Vauxhall and my first trip into Central London. Arrived completely drenched as it had started bucketing down just for fun (Clare: "At least you've had some practice of cycling in the rain!". Easy for you to say whilst cosy and dry). Had tasty but rather shivery lunch, and back home with borrowed Big Issue hoody topped off with yards of enormous yellow Big Issue anorak. Arrive home damp yet overheated, having recreated tropical rainforest conditions between my skin and plastic anorak.