I actually only ended up on the Tweeks Cycles website because the husband was cooing over a monstrous cycling construction of torture*, and I needed to avert my eyes from its scary menacing ways.
Since Mr LittleStuff has been doing the fitness thing, cycling has become a regular fixture in the house, for the first time in more years than I care to admit. He was simply too big for a long time to even be comfortable on a bike, let alone be fit enough to keep up with his sons.
But now? Oh, it’s hellish. He zooms off, and I gasp and labour along behind, he circles and comes back, gives a cheery grin, then zooms off again… it’s like walking a bouncy puppy, they way he does 3 x the distance I do.
But it’s good for me, yes?
Anyhoo, I digress.
Whilst he was gazing in wonder at ridiculous-looking two wheel vehicles, my own happy gaze accidentally fell over the prettiness of the Ridgeback Tradition Hybrid Bike
And I stopped, and did a bit of ooh-ing myself.
Isn’t it lovely?
In my heart, I’d SO love one of those vintage-styled comfortable road bikes.
So so practical – with one of these babies waiting in the bike shed, I’d actually use my bike to ‘pop to the shops’ (no, sadly I do not spend my morning filling a wicker basket with fresh vegetables, a loaf of bread and a small bunch of flowers. But I totes would if I just owned the bike for it, right?)
When you live in a busy competitive family, cycling will always end in a sport. A race, if you will. And now the smallest is more than able to keep up with me, I no longer have the excuse of staying behind to keep the little legs company – she’s up front, racing and jostling her teenager brothers for position 2.
And I have a mountain bike which does just fine on the old railway track, but is properly uncomfortable for nipping around town. What you need for that is the upright riding position of an old-fashioned town bike, and the Ridgeback Tradition is light, comfortable and apparently ‘provides fundamentally fab transport that feels as cool as it looks’.
The Tradition is a new range in the Ridgeback hybrid range and it takes classic design and makes it even better without losing any of the original charm. With a distinctive up right riding position thanks to the high at the front design, long stem and swept back riser bar the Tradition puts the rider within easy reach of the controls and offers a quintessential cycling experience. Each bike in the range comes in an eye catching colour and features Shimano 6 speed gearing and Rigida wheels which are wrapped in Schwalbe Little Big Ben 700 x 38c tyres which offer great rolling resistance and puncture protection. Each bike comes fully equipped with full mudguards, rear pannier rack, kickstand and chainguide to keep you clean.
So it’s all good in the tech-speak too. But there’s no harm in noticing the prettiness, is there? That blue will match my trainers perfectly…
Best of all, presumably because it’s the 2016 model, the Ridgeback Tradition Hybrid Bike at Tweeks is currently just £249 – that’s £151 saving!
* the husband was gazing in awe at this beast:
The Cube Aerium TT Bike 2017 – that’s £3000 of weird-looking intimidation right there (but apparently I know nothing, and it’s properly awesome, and he *wants*)
