Utilitarian Adventures

[Mr Larrington]

Norty Basil!

[Jock Stewart]

It was alright. I just carried it under my arm. Quicker than going by car. It was light, cheap and temporary as we're rebuilding bath next month.

Wot?  The whole city?

Ha! New bathroom.

[Pingu]

Our pootle on Saturday turned into a visit to the cheese shop after a spectacular p*nc**re fairy visit.

[matthew]

Well it was on Friday and unfortunately I don't have a photo for the I carried this on my bike...

A short couple of miles round trip to homebase for a lawn mower and strimmer. The strimmer was required to replace the one i borrowed from my sister and then burnt out  .

Bungied two large boxes onto the top of the rack and rode home looking like I belonged in the far east. The weight was sufficiently high and far back to make fitting the bungies difficult as the front wheel lifted.

[Jock Stewart]

Does cycling to go meet a mate count as utilitarian? In which case I post 30 miles today, and 20 on Weds. If not, they don't count and I will include them in 'social cycling'.

[Feanor]

Our pootle on Saturday turned into a visit to the cheese shop after a spectacular p*nc**re fairy visit.

And did they have Any Cheese *At All* ?

[hatler]

Fifteen miles to collect Mrs hatler's new car. Another Fiat Punto !  The last one has been with us almost 17. years. This one is nine years old. Will it last as long ?

Bike fitted in the back with the seats down and the front wheel removed.

[Jock Stewart]

Yesterday I cycled two miles to Evans in Kingston to buy a new set of chainring bolts. Shop wasn't sure if the only set they had ins tock were the right size and asked me to bring a knackered one in for them to double-check. I said I would do this today.

I cycled the long way 928 miles) back home via the Thames towpath and Richmond Park.

It was spitting but warm.

[Jurek]

Yesterday I cycled two miles to Evans in Kingston to buy a new set of chainring bolts. Shop wasn't sure if the only set they had ins tock were the right size and asked me to bring a knackered one in for them to double-check. I said I would do this today.

I cycled the long way 928 miles) back home via the Thames towpath and Richmond Park.

It was spitting but warm.

[Tim Hall]

Yesterday I cycled two miles to Evans in Kingston to buy a new set of chainring bolts. Shop wasn't sure if the only set they had ins tock were the right size and asked me to bring a knackered one in for them to double-check. I said I would do this today.

I cycled the long way 928 miles) back home via the Thames towpath and Richmond Park.

It was spitting but warm.

That's fractals for you.  Either that or sticky sHift Keys.

[Pingu]

Went for a haircut on Friday.

[Jock Stewart]

28 miles. Not 928 miles.

[Pancho]

Things are getting dire. 1 mile - village and back. Full load consisted of one (1) bag of frozen peas. Can't even remember when I was last out on the bike. Main reason is that the family are all on holiday and we're busy being out and about, visiting, or receiving visitors. Mrs P back to work in a fortnight, Miss P back to school in a week - so maybe I'll be doing some more riding soon.

[Jock Stewart]

Went back to Evans with the sample. It ddn't match but the real nice staff looked through their spairs in the mechanics' dept and got me a couple of freebies, which was all I needed. Big up to them. Cycled 28 miles home again?

[Pancho]

To village. Still 1 mile total. Posted socks to Darkest Peru.

Fantastic weather. Must be summer hols as I saw families out on bikes amongst the dozen or so riders I saw en route. Only one other true utilitarian - lady with a Raleigh shopper at the Post Office.

Twiddled allen keys before departure and nipped up handlebar/stem bolts - fixed an annoying click/creak.

[Oscar's dad]

To village. Still 1 mile total. Posted socks to Darkest Peru.

Do they not have socks in Peru?  Made from lama hair or some such? 

[Cudzoziemiec]

It's an exchange of essentials. Pancho sends socks, knitted by his own fair hands out of Good English Sheep's Wool, and receives marmalade, made out of Good Peruvian Oranges by Wowbagger's Aunt Lucy.

[Oscar's dad]

It's an exchange of essentials. Pancho sends socks, knitted by his own fair hands out of Good English Sheep's Wool, and receives marmalade, made out of Good Peruvian Oranges by Wowbagger's Aunt Lucy.

Which brings to mind a problem I always had with Paddington (the bear not the railway station). How did he get a taste for marmalade in Peru?  As far as I am aware marmalade is only found in Britain and possibly countries that used to be part of the British Empire.

[Pancho]

To village. Still 1 mile total. Posted socks to Darkest Peru.

Do they not have socks in Peru?

Not if you leave them out of your trunk before you go! With a bit of luck of they (may) arrive before Christmas. Post tends to either simply disappear, get permanently stuck in some customs depot, or take months to appear.

[Cudzoziemiec]

It's an exchange of essentials. Pancho sends socks, knitted by his own fair hands out of Good English Sheep's Wool, and receives marmalade, made out of Good Peruvian Oranges by Wowbagger's Aunt Lucy.

Which brings to mind a problem I always had with Paddington (the bear not the railway station). How did he get a taste for marmalade in Peru?  As far as I am aware marmalade is only found in Britain and possibly countries that used to be part of the British Empire.

The habit of making and eating marmalade in Peru was started by Wowbagger's Great Aunt Lucy who emigrated there for reasons which it's still not done to discuss (especially in the hearing of officers of the law, the inland revenue or the clergy) at a date so long ago it is lost in the mists of time.

Or seriously, there was a strong British influence in parts of South America, particularly the "southern cone", which is why they play rugby (and sometimes even cricket) in Argentina and Uruguay and why British made ships and steam locomotives can be found rusting on Lake Titicaca, but whether this ever extended to marmalade in Peru, I doubt.

[Oscar's dad]

 

So Wow and Paddington (the bear not the railway station) are genetically linked. Quite feasible when you think about it.

[Cudzoziemiec]

 

[clarion]

Down the hill to Carshalton for lunch and a bit of shopping.  Sadly, only one of our party was cycling.  Happily, it was The Little Duck!

New skill: freewheeling with feet on the pedals

And (with a few small additions of impetus) he rode most of the way back up the hill.  He was so comfortable riding that he was chatting away about the ancient trees in the park, and the other, younger trees along the road.  He was so comfortable that he took his hands off the bars to point to one tree in particular

But hey: New skill 2: Riding uphill

[Cudzoziemiec]

Excellent!  And points out something about perceptions of families/kids/bikes: when you see parents on foot with small kids on bikes, you tend to assume the parents see bikes as kids toys. But that's not always so! 

Also, I look forward to the day when Nye is old enough to have his own yacf account with which to tell us all about trees ancient and younger.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Up to the top of Whiteladies Road the back way, to buy kitchen stuff. Then down it to the stupormarket. Later out again for veg. About six (6, yes VI) miles in all!1!1!1