Cycling and the city (part 1)

How Katriel Costello fell in love with cycling all over again (with the help of a rather dashing bike)

Have you just started cycling?

"No, I've always had bikes, but when I stayed with friends in Amsterdam and I fell in love with cycling again. We spent days cycling round the city. It's a cycling-crazy place. 

"I really was bitten by the biking bug. We'd rented those 'sit up and beg' bikes, and I found mine so comfortable, and it was so easy to look around and enjoy the ride, that I was determined to get something like that back in Britain."

Trek Navigator

So how did you go about choosing a bike?
"I asked around my network for some recommendations and several people said Mud Dock provided a good service. I've been going to the cafe at Mud Dock for years, but never the bike shop on the ground floor. So I went down to the store. 

"As soon as I saw the Trek Navigator Ladies bike, I was smitten. I’ve been riding a boy’s bike for the past 10 years – in my defence, it was cheap – and women’s bikes didn’t seem that different, with their crossbars and seats that look as though they could slice you clean in two. But this one was different."

What did you like about the Navigator?
"I fell in love at first glance with everything, from the curve of its shiny black frame, to the brown leather seat and handlebar grips. It has voluminous seat pads that are very kind to the bottom, and a steep step-through – no more cocking your leg to get onto the bike. 

"I bought the bike! My new love of cycling changed my life. I used to do the school run – literally – after my scootering, cycling boys. Now we all scooter and cycle together.
 
"Mums I’d never spoken to before came up to tell me how much they liked my bike. The pannier frame, with its elastic ties, means I can carry small trays of plants home from the garden centre. I even took the recycling to the supermarket on the bike the other day, too."

In part 2 of this interview,
Katriel provides some great tips on how to get back in the saddle,
riding with kids, and her favourite routes.