Can a different bike do a different rider?

Peter Walker leads to work on the bike of Pilen Lyx. Photo: Shelly Morris

As well as each city has its own architecture, food, or even nightlife, many also developed a distinctive culture of cycling. This evolves over decades and is, of course, much in the form of infrastructure.

But other factors come into play, not less autoperpetuación with new cyclists automatically imitating modal options of bike, clothes and road that already in their local streets.

It is a small wonder that some cities in UK dominant cycling habits may seem, foreigners, both ultra defensive and, to some extent, a little aggressive. Forced into battle by main roads crowded, many runners don't space helmets and all sorts of paraphernalia fluorescent hi-visibilidad even for a trip relatively short. Upload speeds are often relatively fast, making hybrid motorcycles and swift standard. This in turn sees significant numbers wearing full Lycra cycling gear, exclusive fan of weekend in countries of Eastern Europe more favourable of the bicycle.

In the worst cases - and I am particularly thinking here of my own cycling patch, London: this degenerates into a default approach that is challenging aggressive, even macho. Speed is essential, other users of the highway distrusted, traffic lights, seen as optional.

Even as a respectful of the law and hope, cyclist Cortés, I have a nagging feeling of being more part of the problem than the solution. When he left to work (see below) usually do so by a stripped, light, machine designed for speed. I set up quickly and have more suits in Lycra that is strictly worthy for a man of my age.

More usual route get top of Peter Walker. Photo: Shelly Morris

This has intrigued me to offer, on loan, a motorcycle from the opposite end of the spectrum of cycling. Pilen Lyx is the flagship of a small Swedish company created in 1998 for the manufacture of which is called proudly "utility bikes".

What this means, I found, is a challenging bike anachronistic and more or less indestructible. Almost entirely of steel and heavy appeal: the oversized frame rear would be strong enough for the transport of a pig to the market, is designed to last for decades instead of years. Although there are modern touches, for example a speed train system eight hub and LED dynamo lights, with its framework of powder coating, saddle leather Brooks and handlebar sit-up-and-beg the Lyx barely could look more 50 years stationed outside the Festival of Britain with a jacket draped tweed on the crossbar.

It is used, of course, similar in design to millions of bicycles in all Europe, something for him, in normal clothing. This was the perfect machine for my brief campaign, a man in a more civilized culture of cycling in UK.

Use fifteen arrived with a couple of suggestions. Never I used in the rear to retract the brake of the mountain: Fortunately this is optional, and while heavyweight Lyx passes along without problems on the ground is, for obvious reasons, people with allergies to steep hills.

But otherwise it was something of a revelation. Once on the usual compulsion with cycling traffic: there was a moment almost comically clear when I thought: "hold on, this is not a race.:" trundled along happily, progressing but never work up enough of a sweat worry in my work clothes, even in my 10-mile route.

The paradox was, of course, that they often caught the gimps of Lycra in the next set of traffic lights. My extra time travel was much less that I would normally take a shower and change at work. After a few days of these elegant travel almost louche, had another sudden realization: there is something almost pathetically absurdities about these merchants frenetic urban speed, legs pumping furiously and pellizcados faces in a grimace. And Yes, I I am also in this.

Now the Lyx has returned there to his bike, a London bicycle shop specializing in similarly practical machines, I'm a reformed character? I have thinking about carbon fiber and sets embracing figure?

No, still not enough. I still enjoy the fact that a quick trip, even in the absence of other exercise much, keeps me relatively appropriate. In addition, for many years habits are difficult to ditch. I would, however, a day add a "European style" bike for my collection. Perhaps not a Pilen: bella be the Lyx is almost fetishist in his retro style and extreme robustness. The craft also has a price: ￡ 795 to the model used. But it will be a pleasure to hear other suggestions.

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