Went to a bike shop yesterday and had a look at what they had second hand (cant afford a good new one at the moment). He had just had a Trek road bike traded in as a part exchange just the right size for me but he said it needed a service before it went out to the shop front. It looked ok but not immaculate but being short I need a smaller frame and it's hard to find a god one second hand.  I said I would check out a few other places and would be back tomorrow if I wanted it.  I checked the cost on the Internet when I got home and it was a bargain price for what it was so I went back this afternoon after finishing my work and said I would take it. The bike had been serviced over night and looked almost brand new when he bought it out from the workshop,  I have spent the last few hours adjusting bits and pieces so its right for me and tomorrow morning I will ride to Battersea park where their is a Buddha shrine and take some time out and relax away from it all. I used to do this every day a few years back but my last bike was stolen from work so I stopped.     Here is the Model I got she's a beauty so hopefully I will be fit as a fiddle in no time again One last thing it's my day off and I wont be going in to my bar so thats another day without booze so I am slowly beating it and keeping busy.

Hey SG, good on you! Cycling is a great way to get around. Also you are very free on one. I moved to Thailand January 5th and now I'm waiting for my bike to arrive here next week. Yours is a racing bike, mine is an ATB. I'll be happy to ride around here on it again!

sounds like a great day ..bike riding, a little rest and relaxation at a temple, then good bike ride back. Joys of great weather and beautiful country side.

watch out for those crazy tuk tuk drivers.... they dont respect people on bikes.. Ask Asia.

cheers pal! hope it will help you forward!

A TIP.

Besides your normal lock and cable, buy another cheap lock and cable to secure your bike.

There are a lot of thieving b*****ds in London that just go around stealing bikes.

I lost one last year, but couldn't figure out how it was stolen. It was secured with a good quality D lock in a busy place in broad daylight.

A policeman told me that what these thieves do, is go on the internet a order master keys for all the good bike locks.

Then they stroll up as bold as brass, unlock them and ride off.

He told that the way to thwart them is to use a second lock ( an old piece of chain and a cheap padlock will do). because they won't have a key for the two locks they normally leave that bike alone.

Another good thing about having a bike in London is it saves you a fortune in bus, tube and taxi fares.

I saw a program about it on tv a few months back and they secretly filmed bike thieves nicking bikes in London.Many just use a bloody great cutter thing.D locks came off in a second-in fact all locks failed and very easily.Be very careful

good luck with your bike and get some fresh air and exercise! too cold to ride in the uk though..............haha

Cheers people yeah I will get an extra lock I got a thick chain but will secure it with another cheaper one.

My friend got arrested last year when he lost his key and tried to break the lock on his OWN bike it was just an old banger not worth stealing lol they only catch the innocent here.

I am happy for you

King

I did the same thing nearly five years ago when I was down and out. Got a nice used titanium-frame bike. Still have it, a Litespeed MTB. Nowadays I ride 1 to 4 times a week and most rides are for 44 miles, down to Long Beach where I can see the old Queen Mary. It is a pleasant path free of traffic the entire way, marred only by a mostly industrial setting, but even that has its good points. I now have two bikes, the second an Orbea road bike. One great thing about bike riding is that you can think a lot about yourself, your career, your significant other, how much money to bet on Chelsea this coming weekend, important stuff like that, ... ( )

BTW, I have had an alcohol problem and am the son, grandson and great-grandson of alcoholics, so... I have learned to watch it, and Jandevil hardly lets me drink, which, after you get used to that regimen, is actually good. I have been much more alert and focused in the past year, I can definitely say that.