So apparently today is cycle to work day. Great idea, but I’m failing here on two counts. Firstly until my work find some more money in the budget (the joys of education!) I’m not currently working and broke, secondly I don’t have a bike. Shocking? I agree. I grew out of my last bike at about 16 and never got round to replacing it, what’s more shocking that was nearly 20 years ago. Yikes! Maybe I should have a word with Santa this year….

Anyway I digress, in the spirit of the day well more like coincidence I took my youngest out on two wheels (well 4 if you count stabilisers 😉 )
To look for autumn treasures.

See we can do topical and current! :p

It reminded me of a fun day out a few weeks ago. Another very last minute weekend away in the tent, (same accommodating campsite I’ve mentioned before) so we were out exploring along the Norfolk Coast. More accurately we were looking for somewhere suitable to grab a Breakfast feast when we stumbled across a pretty cool place called holkham hall. A stately home, you pay for parking and then can pretty much explore the extensive grounds at your leisure.

So with full tummies Mr adventurous decides it would be a really great idea to hire bikes for the day. I sulk a bit and drag my heels for several reasons:
1. I haven’t ridden a bike for nearly 20 years
2. We are generally a bit crap with bikes, with him often working 7 days a week and the children all being close in age I’ve never felt confident that I can keep 3 loose cannons safe on their bikes. Two of them can ride independently, just not with the greatest confidence
3. I haven’t ridden a bike in nearly 20 years
4. I haven’t …you get the picture!?

I grumpily share my concerns but he announces we’ll see if they have tagalongs – god help the child who gets the honour short straw of sharing my tagalong!
We head to the bike hire centre on the estate (fingers crossed) but sure enough they can do us 2 tagalongs and a kids bike. Great!
The next trauma is fitting the bikes, I’m not particularly tall and so to darling hubby’s amusement there is much wobbling and tip toeing as the team hunt out a bike which is high enough to accommodate the tagalongs and yet low enough to allow my stumpy legs to reach somewhere near to the ground. Then they make me look like a mushroom by giving me a kids helmet to wear. Yep I have a tiny head too! Oh the indignity! (I’m joking. it wasn’t that bad, I appreciate the safety implications and the kids found it hilarious We had a mummy/kid matchy matchy look going on!)

Turns out the old saying is true you really don’t forget how to ride a bike, admittedly if you imagine Bambi on ice atop a bike that would be an accurate picture. I’ll even begrudgingly admit I had good fun. The best thing, such a baptism of fire means I now have super confident bike riding children – hurrah!