My morning, as a sitcom ("Greenenders", with thanks to Pete)

[jack]

Some people have lives told in Shakespearean style. Bleak house. Austen. Saki. Anything. I have sitcom. Oh well :)

This will be represented as a rapid sequence of scene cuts, as I move from one bike shop to the other. Some humour will be evinced in repetition, some in breaking the repetition.

** 'blinds' transition **
Me: I see you have a selection. What's the difference between this £100 bike, and this £130 bike?
Him: *gormless look* It costs more. It has a, uuuhh, *looks at bike* better frame. And different coloured gears.
** 'blinds' transition **
Me: So, do you have any bikes less tall than I am for under £230 pounds?
Him: No.
** 'blinds' transition **
Me: I'm looking for a town bike?
Him: *shocked look*
** 'blinds' transition **
Me: I'm looking for a bike?
Him: I'm sorry sir, this is a hardware store.
** 'blinds' transition **
Me: Two all-beef patties special sauce lettuce cheese pickles onions on a sesame seed bun.
Him: I'm sorry sir, this is subway.
** series of shots of me muching through a sandwich looking tired **
** 'blinds' transition **
Me: I'm looking for a town bike?
** long pan down ten meter long row of off-road bikes costing £300 **
** 'blinds' transition **
Me: I'm looking for a town bike?
Him: Why are you late for work?
Me: Well, I was *going* to ride in...

*sigh* And all those 0.14s transitions took me half an hour of walking. At least I had a book and a plot to write. But I'm 5'10 or 5'11, I'm not *that* short.

I thought it might be as easy as last time. Where else should I go?

Comments

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

So did I[1]. Then, 6 months on, it crashed catastrophically and I looked *again* :)

[1] OK, I looked round some others first but just to get an idea.

[satanicsocks.livejournal.com]

Ah, well, that's hardly the bike's fault ;)

I just got a folding bike from Halfords, and ye gods is it hard to ride.

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

A folding bike could be fun. Why is it so bad?

I will certainly try Townsends. I should have on my way out, but didn't think of it.

[satanicsocks.livejournal.com]

Mini wheels and no gears.

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Ah, ok. I'd almost like a compromise. I don't think I really need 18 gears, but I need more than 1...

The mini wheels is funny when you see someone big on them. But is good for train/bike combos, I guess?

[satanicsocks.livejournal.com]

Yeah, foldability for teh win. I'd love a brompton, but hey, I'm not rich.

Having six gears suits me fine on my town bike, perfect for Cambridge -- even Castle Hill.

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Are bromptons famously leet? I believe Mobbsy got one.

I mean, I *can* treat myself to something expensive if I want to, but since all I want is to move myself two miles in less than half an hour I don't really...

[satanicsocks.livejournal.com]

Bromptons are merely l33t cos they fold and have gears. IMHO. :) Oh, and are light enough as to be carryable, whereas my folding bike is a bit of a heavy bugger.

[mair_in_grenderich]

bromptons are lovely, yes.