The Life of Riley

It’s now a year since Ollie died and I have not been near this blog for six months.

She is still very vivid in our minds and hearts, but I’ve gone onto other things, other passions,
and I’m sure she’d approve.

I’ve become a promoter, not for money but for health, of Electric bikes. I do feel they are the answer to our obesity problems and can make a great contribution to Global warming as well.I

Sadly, to get somewhere, to do something, on a bike is very foreign for most of us, so wedded to our cars have we become.

Yet, there are people all over Europe just as smart, just as rich, for whom the bike is the first thing they think of when going somewhere. It is the verhicle of choice. And I’m not just talking about Holland where bike usage is famous.

Can you believe that in Denmark, 32% of commutes are on bikes and they are aiming for 50%. by 2015? And that’s a country with a tough winter too!

Seductive and useful as cars certainly are, (we still have two in the family) I try to remember that they are not life style choices, but life steal choices.

Every time I use my car for a trip that a bike could do, I rob myself of an exercise opportunity.

I know I sonud like a preacher. Well, I am. I’ve done over 3000 kms, 2000 miles on my E bike and can thank it for shedding me ten Kilos, not to mention hours of pleasurable travel in the fresh air, in the smells of nature (I live in a rural setting) with the sounds of birds and the bush around me

Moreover, as Einstein said; “I though of it on a bike.” He was talking about his theory of relativity. I’m talking about lots of good ideas I’ve had on my Electric bike.

Anyway, I ‘m convinced that despite some weaknesses, we don’t know how long the new technology batteries will last for example, they are just great.

I making lots of video clips about them, and there’s one below.

But first, I’m going to look for some photos of Olive on bikes. .

Here she is with he sit up straight bike. It’s interesting that it was probably then easier to buy such a bike, because sitting up was more the norm then than it is now

I contend that for shopping and commuting, we are riding the wrong bikes these days, so called Hybrids and road bikes. In each case, you are bent over or semi bent over. Not th ebest position for seeing where you are going, nor for general comfort riding .

Olive’s got the right idea.
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Here, Olive is with her son, Barnie. One can guess that it’s his new bike in the picture, and she’s agreed to pose on it for him.

It might have been quite funny to see her in that position, hunched over like a racer, in a way I suspect, she would never have ridden.

Certainly she did not ride like that when she ‘dinked’ that same Barnie to the dentist, years before when he was 10.
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Lastly for this post, I was hoping to embed a video which shows you where I’m at these days. It’s about me working to persuade a neigbour to try commuting to work on on my Ebike

But it wont embed and so if you are really keen, go to youtube, and type; commuting on an Electric bike.. yes, you can, into the search box.
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Sorry about that! Mike

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