- Advertisement -

It's love. It's definitely love. Sometimes I'm not sure, but this time I am.

Last night I picked up the new bicycle I blogged about previously. And today I rode it to work for the Australia-wide Ride To Work Day.

You'll forgive me if I gush (and feel free to skip over this part).

It's so beautiful. It's by far the prettiest bike I've ever seen. Even Nick at Cheeky Monkey reckons it's in his top three coolest bikes sold by them. It's exactly as I was hoping it would be. It looks old school retro with it's glossy British racing green paint, and brown leather saddle and grips. But it's fast and fun to ride.

The leather saddle is going to take some getting used to. It's a Brooks, which, like a pair of school shoes, wears in. The trouble is, that like a pair of school shoes, there's going to be some pain during the wearing-in process.

I ride my bike every day, but today, despite the dreary weather in Sydney, I noticed more than the usual number of cyclists. Quite a few of them were looking a little wobbly and flustered on their bicycles and I wondered whether they were first timers inspired by the national Ride to Work Day.

This is an initiative of each of the state cycling advocacy groups designed to get more people cycling more often. I guess the logic is that if you get people on the bikes once, you might get them coming back for more.

Certainly, most of the folks I know who have been coaxed onto a bicycle by a well-meaning friend have become regular commuters.

Quite simply, I think it's because riding bikes is fun. And what better way to start your day with a breezy ride into work. It's a better wake up than the best latte.

In addition to the fact that it is carbon-free commuting, it's also good for you. The Ride to Work Day people tell us that "Cycling is mainly an aerobic activity, which means that your heart, blood vessels and lungs all get a workout. You will breathe deeper, perspire and experience increased body temperature, thereby improving your overall fitness level."

So you'll save the planet and get fit.

As if that weren't enough, you'll also lose a bit of weight too. And with obesity increasingly becoming a problem in Australia that can only be a good thing.

It doesn't matter if you didn't ride today. Spring is a lovely time for a cycle with cool mornings and light evenings. If you missed out today, there's always tomorrow. Or the next day.

And if you see a girl whizzing by on a British racing green commuter, give me a wave.