Annie

When I returned to live in Adelaide in 2005, a friend bought me a bike at a lawn sale for $20! I started out by occasionally doing short rides to the shops or to visit friends very locally. Then a friend gave me her old Malvern Star (which was much better than the $20 one!) and I added an old milk crate to the back (ideal for shopping) - it already had a good basket. That encouraged me to at least use my bike regularly to go to the shops and nearby services. A few years ago I decided to join the monthly Saturday Historical Bike Rides. Then in mid-2021 I joined the weekly riding group led by Monica from the Unley Community Centre. This has really encouraged me to ride more and I really enjoy the regular Tuesday rides. Earlier this year I decided to lash out and buy a new bike - the bike is a lovely bright yellow and the gears are fantastic after the old one. As an older person riding, I feel a bit safer in a group. Another bonus has been making some new friends. Now I am mostly riding 2 mornings a week around 20kms or so and love it, even in the middle of winter.... I never thought I'd get to this point! Its also so much easier to go to the shops on the bike rather than taking the car. I love the fact that I can ride most places I need to go in Unley. (Though I still don't ride in the rain or if the weather is truly horrid!). But the bike certainly means I'm doing far less kms in the car. I am passionate about the preservation of our big old trees and its been much easier to go and look at trees on the bike rather than taking the car! One thing I'd like to see in Unley is some consistency in practical bike racks - some of them are hopeless and virtually unuseable. Its quite amazed me that here I am in my 70s doing this much riding!