Uk.rec.cycling/Eddie Dubourg

How I Came To Enjoy Cycling, by Eddie Dubourg

As a child I inherited my older brothers' various bikes, starting with an RSW14 (eventually converted to static, but that's another story), but my youthful cycling was cut short when I borrowed my older brother's "touring bike" - single speed, diamond frame big (20something") wheels, and went round the block on it - coming back down (the pavement) on a hill I lost control and went into the side of a Triumph parked at the lights on the main Mansfield-Nottingham road. I lost my front teeth in that accident, and worse, I lost my parents trust in allowing me a bike at all.

8 years later I persuaded them that at 15 I was responsible, and I was bought my first "racer" a 531 tubed Puch, with /12/ gears - and a beautiful matt-black finish. I used that for everything - and it was amazing how the wheels stayed true, even with bumping over kerbs and the like (far better than my current MTB does). That bike got stolen, and I used the insurance to buy my electric guitar (guitars were /way/ cooler than bikes in the late 70s).

There then followed a hiatus, up until 1985 when I bought myself a new Edinburgh Country bike from the EBC (I moved to Edinburgh to go to Uni in 82). Great bike, but it, and my interest, wore out at roughly the same speed, and I stopped using it in about 93, although I have recently started to restore it. However, this was strictly a low usage runabout. I also was given a car that my mum didn't want in 91, so I sold my soul, and became a driver.

Then, in 99, I was helping a friend move house, and he had a couple of MTBs lying around, and I asked if he used them - I had a half hour walk to work, and I thought a bike would save me time (and money, but that idea didn't last). One, a sweet little Giant Chicago, he had bought for his now ex-wife, and he said I could have it, free, gratis, and so I took the little beast home, repaired the tyres, pumped them up, oiled the chain and started to commute. It was wonderful - home-work in under 10 minutes, I could go home for lunch, I had so much more free time.

Then I had my first accident - a young child slipped its mum's grasp and stepped into the road - I swerved, hit the curb and the bike catapulted me off. I landed heavily on my knee, which was always a tad delicate since I had broken it about 10 years earlier, and I was incapacitated, and off my bike. A week or so later my doctor advised me to start a small amount of walking to get some movement back into my leg, so I wandered up and down the local canal. This was such fun I decided to drive out to the Pentlands and walk there. I then had my 'road to Damascus' moment when it was pointed out that the canal, and water of leith walkway led more-or-less from my house to the hills, and I gave it a go. The rest is history. The exhilaration of riding, coupled with the ease with which I left the city behind and got into the open country was addictive, and I just went back for more and more. I started noticing (after about a year of this) that the little Giant, whilst a very nice wee bike, responsive, agile, was just that - wee. I kept knocking my knees on the handlebars when going round corners, I had the saddle raised about 2-3 inches beyond the minimum insertion point, otherwise I was too cramped to pedal efficiently, so I bought myself a new MTB, and gave the sweet little bike to an impecunious student who was more the size for it. Since then I've just become more and more addicted to cycling. My car averages about 2000 miles a year - that's mainly going to my parent's house in Nottinghamshire. My bike has so far covered over 7500 miles in the 18months I've owned it, and I keep on doing more, and more.

Now I'm starting to look for another bike to complement the one I have - I'm currently swithering over a Cannondale Bad Boy (looks cool, takes knocks [and fat tyres, if necessary]) or some form of road bike - oooh decisions, decisions....... - but oddly, this nice cheap hobby now takes most of my spare time, and all my spare money - but it's worth it.

Eddie Dubourg