You can fix the person, or you can fix the bike

One thing I read that stuck with me, was that in Holland they prepare their bikes for any situation. In Britain, or America, or any place where cycling isn't so ingrained within the culture, they prepare themselves. My bicycle seems to be a bit more Dutch than British in mindset, despite being proudly made in Nottingham.

Mudguards -
I didn't give rain a second thought. I didn't even realise mudguards were optional until my boyfriend said that I was lucky I could ride in the rain because of them. I began noticing all the bikes without them being pedalled around the place or locked up on Queen Street. Really? We're in Wales and you decide to go without mudguards?
Apparently the British thing is to wear waterproof trousers and a rain coat. Preparing the person and not the bike.

 Basket -
Seriously! How do people survive without a basket?
I got a bicycle maintenance book out of the library. I used my basket to carry it home.
It spent ages saying things like:
-Oh you need a lock, but they're so heavy to carry, and chains are so cumbersome, you'll have to put it around your waist. You can get special brackets for it though, so do that.
- Always carry a pump, you can get small ones that fit to your frame. You'll have to fit a bracket though.
- What about water? You can get bottles for I dunno, a fiver? And you can get brackets to fit to your frame to carry them.
-  Carrying things is so hard. Your back gets so sweaty with a normal backpack. You can get ones that are specially designed for cycling, they cost a fortune though.
- Aha, there are these things called baskets. they fit on the front and they're brilliant for stopping people from stealing your bike!
 Why doesn't everyone just grab the stuff they need, stuff it in the basket and go?
There's only so many brackets your frame has room for, and I never notice the difference in handling when mine is full of stuff or empty.
 Apparently the British thing is to carry a rucksack or a messenger style bag, but really. If you're a girl, get a basket, and if you're a guy get panniers. Problem solved.

 Clothing - 
On Caprice I find it simple enough to ride in anything I'm wearing, even the shortest of miniskirts. I find the basket and a strategically placed safety pin helps my modesty (Ha! Like I have modesty!).  She's a loop frame, so there's no problem with the upper bar getting in the way, and she has a chain guard so I've never given a moments thought over getting clothing caught in the chain. When my boyfriend rode his dad's fixie, however, he had to tuck his jeans into his socks. Hilarious, I thought! Why don't all bikes come with chain cases?
Because in Britain the rider prepares him or herself by wearing shorts, or Lycra or something.

The difference in these two styles correspond exactly to how the bicycle in viewed by people in the two countries. Holland hops on and gets from A to B. In Britain they spend ages working out what to wear that they can ride in, then go change, then see that it's raining and give up because they don't want a soggy back.
So really, one of the main things that the bicycle industry can do to make cycling a more appealing form of transport is just to fit mudguards to all bikes as standard.
And, of course, a basket.

City vs Countryside

I live in a small seaside town. I spend a lot of time in the big city though, and I am baffled by the difference in riding in the two places.
(When I say 'the big city', I should clarify. The capital city of a country that only has a population of three million. It's not exactly New York, but to a small town girl it's enormous.)
In my town, for example, I ride on the road. There aren't many cars, and I feel safe enough. The junctions aren't complicated, there are never any lanes of traffic to work out. There aren't even any traffic lights. I just jump on, pedal for a bit, then jump off.

In the city, however. Oh boy. I refuse to ride on Newport Road. It's insane. I did it once for literally about a hundred metres with my boyfriend right in front of me, and that was enough. There are so many cars, and shouty people, and people who are in a rush. I am not in a rush. I am unemployed. So on the really busy roads I ride on the pavement. I'm not the only one either, I go past people on bikes there all the time. I have to stop every five seconds because of pedestrians and it's really annoying. I'm sure I'm annoying them, too, but what can you do?
It's illegal, but the road is too dangerous. I've seen pictures of cycling infrastructure in Holland and oh my goodness, I wept with jealousy. If they want cyclists to not cycle on the pavement, they need to offer alternatives. Otherwise they're basically banning cycling and that's not going to help anyone now, is it?
Apparently there are plans for cycle lanes on Newport Road. Can't happen soon enough.
The pavement is brilliant in the rain, though.

Newport Road

Another difference is the cycle helmets. In my town I don't think I've ever seen someone wearing a cycle helmet. Why would they? For one thing everyone is about eighty and don't have many years left anyway, and for another it's just not dangerous enough to need it.
In the city though, it seems about fifty-fifty. There are people who go all out in their bright yellow waistcoats and their helmets and their Lycra. There are also people who look effortlessly chic, in dresses with loop frames as photographed on the Cardiff Cycle Chic blog.
I like to think I belong to the latter.
(Not that I am against cycle helmets per say, I just have never really been into them. Plus I only have 96p left in my overdraft, and even if I had money I think I'd replace my bald back tyre first.)

Another difference is security. When I go places in my town I only lock my bike about fifty per cent of the time. Usually I just put her in an out-the-way sort of place and she's fine. I will at night, or if I'm away for ages, or if she's in a really obvious place, but only round a lampost with my cheap cable combination lock. Which is the only kind of lock you can get at the LBS, which is also the garage. I googled bike theft in my town and there were literally no responses. And I often see bikes left unlocked all over the place.
In the city I use my D-lock and my combination lock through the tyres. I'm not taking any chances. And there are actual bike lock stands there to use, which I always do because lamposts are too fat for my D-lock. No-one leaves their bike unlocked, and I often see bikes missing their front wheel. It's mental.

I would rather cycle five miles in the country than five minutes in the city.

Porthcawl

Where are all the arseholes?

The Internet is full of stories about horrible drivers who deliberately try to rear end cyclists. Or who pass with just millimetres to spare. Or who yell things out the window. Or even throwing litter out into the road and hitting their two wheeled contempories.
I was a bit worried. Was getting on a bicycle the equivalent of painting a big bulls eye on my back?
The reality turned out to be quite different.
Cars pass me with so much space I almost wonder if they’re being sarcastic. They literally go off into the other lane, into the oncoming traffic just so there’s no chance they’ll hit me. People smile. Other cyclists too - I thought they wouldn’t be interested in my little vintage three speed, and that they’d silently mock my choice of bicycle. Not so - I’ve had lots of admiring comments from the Lycra-clad lot, as I arrange Caprice next to their thousand pound bikes on the train.
A white van did beep at me once though, but to be fair, my boob had just popped out.