Theo Bekkers wrote:
>
> Patrick Turner wrote:
>
> > Back in Ancient Times during the 1950s when I was a youngster, the
> > idea of my mum or my father pedling around
> > Sydney Roads with child trailers behind push bikes would have been
> > utterly impractical and
> > entirely irresponsible because of the dangers of riding on the crowded
> > narrow roads.
>
> Geez Pat, you come from a family of wimps.
You would say that of course, but wimps we are not.
My mum is 91, going OK, and thankfully she and my father did not expose
me to
unnecessary dangers of Sydney roads by dragging me around in kiddie
trailers amoung
the louts, hoons, and drunks in the 1950s.
> My mother used to do all her
> vegetable shopping for a family of 11 on her bicycle in Australia. A lot of
> string bags and several trips were required. The grocer delivered.
I am sure I could find a mum who shopped for 25 kids using a bike,
but she'd be a rare issue.
I find shopping with a bike is boring, so i don't do it.
Shopping only takes me 15 minute max, and the health benefit is
negligible during the
10 minute ride involved.
I prefer riding for 3 to 4 hours at a time, just for the sheer
wonderment of it all,
and not having to park a bike, worry about it being nicked,
stuffing around with bags dangling off bars and so on.
>
> > I lived about 17km away from the fabulous Sydney beaches where my
> > sisters and I were taken on many weekends
> > but most certainly not by means of bicycles. The round trip would have
> > been utterly exhausting
> > and dangerous due to large hills and steep descents, and the bloody
> > traffic.
>
> 17kms? Phht, used to ride nearly that far to see my girlfriend when I was
> 16. When I was 12 my sister (14) and I rode 30 kms to the next town (York)
> after lunch on Sunday to see if we could do it.
Quite some hills involved though in the 17km to the becaches in Sydney.
17km back again.
but if you lived at Liverpool, ppl rarely went ever to the beaches.
I couldn't possibly imagine my parents coping with a kiddie trailer
over the distances and hills involved. They had far more sense than to
attempt what was for them stupid, foolhardy, time wasting
and plain exhausting.
Just because people don't exercize as much as you or i do, it does not
mean they are wimps.
Both my parents worked hard at being parents, were busy night and day,
and none of us were overweight.
During 14 years of doing very little exercize until last year
I was never very unhealthy; health is rather genetically determined, as
is the level of possible
fitness, and to try to live only to be fit would be a monumentally
boring selfish pastime afaiac.
I had a problem with my knees and a condition which needed a long
overdue operation,
and sure you young turks might find that boring, but just youse all wait
until you want to be healthier than you are, and can't be because
there's a problem which stops you.
It happens.
But yeah, some sheilas I knew in my 40s were worth riding across town
for a visit.
Had a nice ride or two after I arrived, and needed a recovery ride home
at about 3 am.
Beautiful in summer....
But I've never ever known any sheila who could keep up with me either on
or off the bike.
So I've never expected them to be able to keep up, and don't mind
waiting at the top of hills
if the overall effect is worth it.
I once married someome who wasn't very "physical", and it barely lasted
12 months,
I drove her crazy because I was always doing something. I tried not to
notice how lazy she was,
but you know how it is, they read your mind anyway, and felt quite ill
at ease, and off she went.
I have always found women who were as busy as my mum to be extremely
rare, and married to someone else,
and strange thing was that the guys were such lazy buggers....
I rarely ever met any women who ever rode anywhere. Seems to me 90% of
sheilas
give up virtually all exercise which makes their heart race longer than
5 minutes after they finish high school.
At 60, I have yet to be passed on the road by any female during the last
12 months.
I cannot recall ever seeing a female my age out riding with any vigour.
The tiny number of oldies
I do see are into taking it real easy. But then there are very few guys
at 60.....
When I raced at age 40 in the B grade local vets, the very best of the
young females who raced
in the club could barely keep up with us. But in the first Canberra 2
day open tour I did,
and i rode in 5, there was ONE Victorian female in class E, where i was,
and she rode away from me with most
of the other vets and juniors. I remember she was also about 40, and
built to go fast. She was the only female
I have ever seen with courage enough to race with the men.
Grades were A,B,C,D,and E. With many competitors, if they didn't score
close to the leaders after day 1,
they'd ******** home to Sydney etc rather than pay for the overnight
stay and ride the really hard third race on the second day.
On day 2, she was gone, I was there, and so I wasn't last.
It was very good training for anyone.
There are many more females out on bikes now than ever before, nearly
all under 25, and mostly childless,
but gee, don't the numbers collapse during winter.
Its great to see them out when you do see them, but its a pity most see
exercize as too much of a challenge,
and its sad they just can't seem to enjoy it.
>
> > From an early age we walked a mile to primary schools, then later
> > caught buses.
> > I cannot recall a single student riding a bike to school in the 11
> > years at St Leo's.
>
> At my schools latecomers had to lean their bikes against the outside of the
> bike sheds. Almost everybody rode.
>
> Theo
In many schools here there are clouds of bicycles because its safe
enough on the cycle paths.
Very few parents like their kids riding on roads.
But unlike the 1950s, there are clouds of parents driving kids to and
from schools each day,
methinks they spoil or worry about them too much.
Patrick Turner.