Steps!!

As has been my usual practice, I drove SHMO into work today. It’s a fairly straight forward journey: we park at near the station; I get out; she goes to work; and I get the train – simples.

However, this also means that I don’t get to ride my bike. And this also means that I’ve got to walk from NSS to MP. Then it occurred to me – Betty folds!!

So the agreement was that I drive her to work, and put Betty in the back, ready for the final leg of the journey: University to New Street Station.

If there’s one thing that really annoys me is when road works are clearly signposted; and they direct you into one lane of a duel carriageway (the right hand lane, in this case) and after one has manoeuvred into directed lane, a million other drivers force their way on the inside (in this case), and force themselves into the lane that you have just moved into, causing more delays in the traffic flow!!! Actually, that is the secret to good rush hour traffic: maintaining good, safe traffic flow (and this is mainly why I don’t like travelling in rush hour – only I know how to do this properly, obviously).

Anyway, we get to University and we park. And I’m thinking ‘It’s a nice day, why don’t I finish the journey along the canal route?’. So I set off to look for the canal access.

After a couple of tries (or dead-ends, you might say), I’m on the canal peddling away. The main thing I noticed about canal travel is that it is mainly in the shade. Shade = Cold!!. So to get warm, I lift a gear and peddle harder. After about five minutes of travel, a fully kitted out Brompton passes. I secretly sneer – partly because he’s overtaken me, and partly because I know how much he’s paid for all that gear - nearly three times as much as me, for pretty much the same thing. That’s probably why he’s peddling faster than me, to get his money’s worth.

A couple of near misses with joggers later (well, they should have a bell like mine), and I’m at the back of the Mailbox. A quick re-navigation and I’m winding my way round the back to come out at the front entrance. Things are going well.

Now some of you might know the front of the Mailbox and the rather wide underpass opposite. I see this and think ‘Ah. Short cut.’ And proceed to cut through said underpass.

Suddenly, out of the dark, I notice a row of concrete steps in my path – leading down. Arggh!! What to do? Peddle faster and do a ‘BMX’ over the steps (not sure if Betty would cope, I’m not sure I would cope)? I jam on the anchors – hard. This produces a skid...The steps are looming now, getting closer...A quick flick to the left and the back end starts to come round...More skids...You can see the people on the steps getting ready for the meeting of bike and pedestrian. More skids and finally…

a halt – right at the top of the steps (you couldn’t have scripted it better).

I ride off nonchalantly, over to New Street and on to my usual daily commute. I feel cool (because of the Hollywood stunt work), but also a little relieved. It could have been so much more disastrous. That was a close shave.