Letter from the editor: Return to cycling has fallen flat

A few weeks ago I committed to getting back on my bike and starting an exercise regime to herald the start of the new year.

Unfortunately, my plans have been hampered by a spanner in the works, almost literally.

While the get fit challenge is still on track courtesy of a daily lunchtime walk around the streets of Grangemouth, it’s unlikely I’m going to take to two wheels any time soon.

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For the first couple of weeks of 2017, my bike lay untouched in the garage surrounded by piles of rubbish and gathering a fresh layer of dust.

However, on Sunday, given a few precious hours to myself, I finally decided to do something about it.

Out came the WD40 and I set to work ensuring it was spick and span ready for my re-entry on to the roads.

With several months worth of dirt and grime removed and all the mechanisms operating smoothly, I pumped up the tyres, donned my new cycling helmet and gloves (the world’s not ready for my lycra shorts yet) and headed out into the big wide world ...

Or just around the corner as it turned out.

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That’s when I discovered the front wheel was aiming in a different direction to the rest of the bike, the brakes were jamming on the back tyre, and I had at least one – possibly two – punctures.

I would have like this paragraph to read that, undeterred, I’d returned to the garage, sorted out the problems and headed back out.

In reality, I returned to the sofa and vowed to ring someone to take a look at the bike.

Maybe, next week ...

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