Flashdance

Up until now, the only thing I had in common with 'La Guitarra', or Jennifer 'Three Weddings, and a Broken Engagement' Lopez, is the surplus of fat surrounding my derriere. That is until I bought Candice.
Candice is my circa 1980 racer bike which I bought on ebay for the princely sum of £16! Yes, £16! I was inspired to buy a racer after seeing J-Lo recreate Flashdance in a 3 minute pop video for one of her forgettable pop songs. I instantly thought in that superficial way that people who love fashion think: 'hey, that looks sooo cool'.
So after nine months of exercise dodging due to the rigours of postgraduate study, and a chance meeting with a hottie who also rides a racer who said we could go 'riding' together, I got online to bag a bike, and got Candice.
According to one of my guy-friends, I'm a bit of a 'geezer-bird'. I love cars, motorbikes, and riding bikes. When I was younger I hung out with my boy-friends on the block who rode BMXs. But my Jamaican Dad refused to get me a bike saying: "Girl's not fe ride bike." As soon as I could pay for my own, aged 18, I had one. Since then, I've had three bikes, and they've all been stolen. The last one, last year from outside the IMAX cinema.
Candice (that's what the bike's 'livery' says - ooh get me) is a white, women's racer. I've always refused to buy women's bikes, as I thought they looked wimpy, and girlie. And being a bit of a feminist (the bits that suit me), I've always rebelled against women specific things like bikes, and...Nissan Micras! I will never drive a car with an engine smaller than 1.4, and I'd only drive 1.4l to help save the environment. But hey, I'm 36 now, and I'm over it. Not the Micra though, never!
Also, as I seem to have got more girlie in latter years, I thought it would be easier to ride it wearing skirts. Which it is. I even rode it wearing a denim mini, and my TopShop 4 inch wedges. Admittedly that was a bit of a pose too far, but the journey wasn't too long.
Candice has the type of feminine colours that I would usually run (or ride) a mile from dotted about the frame. A splash of lilac, yellow and coral. But as soon as I saw her, I fell in love. And she rides like a dream.
So now I can be seen bombing through Brixton, the West End, and if I'm feeling really brave (or stupid) as far afield as Finsbury Park! I haven't yet gone riding with the hottie, but to be quite honest, it's cool with just me and Candice.
I bought Candice about three weeks before the bombs hit the tube, and in Saturday's Times, a story on bikes said sales had shot up four-fold. Right now, I'm happy to take my chances with London's annoying traffic, and thankfully the weather up till now has been heavenly.
Clarke and I have been going for rides on Sunday mornings round Clapham and Brixton, and sometimes we ride up to the London Eye. Me on my racer, and Clarke on her BMX.