Discovering the joys of cycling

Yesterday I took my first steps - pedals? - into the land of the cycling commute. As I put on my helmet and manouvered the bike out of a very tiny flat, I wasn't feeling much like a proper cyclist:

I might not have been high vis, but I sure was well patterned!

(Yes, I dress like a 14 year old).

In fact, I kind of felt like avoiding the humungous main roads and the tempermental drivers in their big, fast cars and getting the train. But I didn't! Probably because I had promised my friend that I would join her on the way in; though I think she expected me to be slightly tougher than I actually was am. Five minutes into our epic (ok, 6 mile) journey, we hit a REALLY BIG junction with traffic lights and cars coming from all directions. I tentatively asked her - with crossed fingers - if we were going to turn left. Unfortunately, we had to turn right. Driving on the left hand side of the road, this seemed somewhat problematic! Somehow, I survived being sandwiched between two lanes of traffic, although a pothole on the other side nearly wiped me out!

I've been quite pleasantly surprised at how considerate the drivers are around here; in the mornings, at least. I guess it's something in the coffee that turns them into maniacs come the evening. (I've seen first-hand just how much coffee real-life Surrey office workers get through in a day. It's insane. As is their evening driving. End.) On a related note, my boss has stopped asking me if I'm a robot - now he simply states it as an explanation for people that ask if I want a coffee, and look confused when I say no.

Well, from tomorrow morning I'm going to be a briiight, flourescent orange robot! High vis, yaaay! Because I bought this jacket:

Waterproof, windproof, stormproof and FAR TOO BRIGHT to do it justice in a photo. Win!

Also, it was reduced from £120 to £35. DOUBLE WIN!

It's awesome, and means that the city-workers-slash-boy-racers in their gorgeous and really fast but REALLY INCONVENIENT WHEN OVERTAKING YOU WHILST LEAVING BARELY AN INCH OF SPACE cars can no longer pretend not to see me. That goes for the Surrey tractors, too.

Yeah, I see you.

Bring it on!