1. The limo
The limo is in fact a Lekker. This drool worthy beast is my go to bike. I ride it every day, rain, hail, shine and what a joy it is. Yes it's "heavy", yes there are "only" 5 gears, but it's the weight that makes it such a smooth ride and I can honestly say I've only ever needed two of the gears; one for going up hills, one for not going up hills. The skirt guard means I can wear long skirts, coats and scarfs without fear of getting them stuck in the back wheel/ break, and the chain guard keeps my pants safe.
If there's a downside to this bike, it's that you get A LOT of attention on it. People will point at you, talk about you and to you. Personally, I don't mind that. I feel like every time I'm riding I'm contributing to a positive bicycle culture, but if you're a private, quite type, best to stay away!
2. The lovely lady
Ahh, my first vintage bike love. Purchased off eBay and ridden daily for about a year, this old Malvern Star was my first experience of riding upright-ish (compared to the limo it's not actually that upright but close enough). It completely changed my thinking about bikes and bike riding. I realised that riding a bike was fun, that it didn't have to be a work out, it's simply a convient way to get around. Sadly since I've got the limo this little lady doesn't get out much, but I'm still glad she's there.
3. The trusty steed
No photos of this one unfortunately but chances are you've seen a million like it. It was my first bike as an adult and like most people I was convinced I needed a made in china, million gears, suspension machine. Like most people, I would change into sports gear before going for a ride and made sure I was "getting a workout."What this meant in reality was that I could hardly be bothered riding it, only using it a couple of times a week and didn't even think about using it to get around outside of the work commute. I also think this focus on fitness and the riding position of the bike made me an aggressive speed demon! It was me Vs the world!
That being said, I still have this bike and will find it hard to say goodbye It is a nice, easy ride and I will be forever grateful to it for breaking the bike riding drought.
