Sometimes a comment is made in response to one of my posts here on CyclingEurope.org that deserves the attention that perhaps the ‘comments’ section of each post doesn’t afford. Rob Ainsley is a cyclist and writer – a bit like me I suppose – and I had the opportunity of meeting up with him earlier in the year as he was cycling along the River Calder. (You can read more about his ride in this post.) Earlier today Rob took the time to write a comment about new bicycles, a topic that has recently received much – perhaps too much – attention here at CyclingEurope.org. It makes for an interesting short read:

“There’s something very special about getting a new bike. Yes, there’s the physical pleasure of the comfy ride, the crisp brakes, the smooth gears and so on. But mainly I think it’s the anticipatory glow of all those trip ideas – the vague, happy thoughts of the places you’ll go together, the trips that start with a map and a cup of tea and a whim and end up with an adventure and a book, or at least a blog post. There is something oddly partner-like about these wheeled bits of metal and plastic, isn’t there? I can’t look at my Spa Cycles Tourer without thinking of all the places we’ve been, the summit snaps and the souvenir selfies. (Selfies of the bike, not me: I’m rather shy about such things.) I once had a touring bike trashed by a lorry – it was parked, I wasn’t on it at the time. We’d done End to Ends, Trans-Europe odysseys. When I took it to the recycling centre, I felt awful, guilty. I could feel the bike looking at me with silent, betrayed eyes. It was like taking a much-loved family pet to be put down. So it’s great to read about Wanda, and I’m really looking forward to reading where you go together!”

Rob Ainsley, Yorkshire Ridings