ah! the joys of an early morning commute! The Babe and I swoop down and through Brixton, trailing Assyrian wolves and all manner of BSOs behind us, cut across the Oval and swan up Kennington Road knowing that, right here, right now, there is no better place. Across Blackfriars Bridge, sun bouncing off the high tide and it's associated flotsam, and then up to the den of iniquity known as Islington.
I refuse the offer of coffee, and drop down to Old Street, pick up the Guardian, and take a left to Look Mum No Hands, arriving on the dot of half past seven, the time known in Midtown as 'flat white o'clock'. A chap with a smidge of humility has, on these occasions, no option but to count his blessings. In no particular order these would be
1. The shirt. Not retro 80s, but real 80s with fantastically hip club name....Lekeitialde (it's Basque, but then you knew that). And totally co-ordinated with the bike
2. The beard. Looking Raphatastic, with just the right amount of white to each side
3. The bike. Perfect bar that little nick in the bearing surface in the BB and.....lawks! one of my Silva rossoverdi bar ends, perfectly co-ordinated with the red and green flashes on Floreana has fallen out!
I seek solace in G2. Not for long. The regulars start to arrive on their fixies. It's time to check out the scene. I make the following observations
1. Tattoos are so last year. In fact, the Dellzeqq Rule of Tattoos can be summed up thusly. If Jess Cartner-Morley hasn't got it, I ain't having it.
2. Lezyne is so en pointe. Pound to a penny that darling girl with the plaits and the floral frock has a pump at home, but the Look Mum house track pump (set permanently to Schrader) is just the perfect conversation piece.
3. Lavender. OMG! Not exactly lavender, but certainly on the dusky side of hydrangea. Lavender rims. Lavender cardie. Lavender bar tape! (On a De Rosa bike - tell you what, fella, keep the bar tape......)
Text Susie and Claudine in blind panic. Lavender is the new cappucino (remember that cappucino is the new celeste). Why am I not on trend? Ponder furiously. Is it lavender or is it hydrangea? How is one to bring some lavender to the rossoverdi look?
Salvation arrives in the shape of a Rouleur poster. Of course - how could I have been so foolish! Go maglia rosa! With azzure! Who needs 'lavender' when you can have the real thing...........
Equilibrium re-established I schlepp down CS7 to Brixton Cycles in search of brake cables, pasteis de nata and um galao, burning off a couple of thirtysomethings en route. And relax.....
People say to me 'Simon, you are so effortlessly a la mode'. If only they knew.......
I refuse the offer of coffee, and drop down to Old Street, pick up the Guardian, and take a left to Look Mum No Hands, arriving on the dot of half past seven, the time known in Midtown as 'flat white o'clock'. A chap with a smidge of humility has, on these occasions, no option but to count his blessings. In no particular order these would be
1. The shirt. Not retro 80s, but real 80s with fantastically hip club name....Lekeitialde (it's Basque, but then you knew that). And totally co-ordinated with the bike
2. The beard. Looking Raphatastic, with just the right amount of white to each side
3. The bike. Perfect bar that little nick in the bearing surface in the BB and.....lawks! one of my Silva rossoverdi bar ends, perfectly co-ordinated with the red and green flashes on Floreana has fallen out!
I seek solace in G2. Not for long. The regulars start to arrive on their fixies. It's time to check out the scene. I make the following observations
1. Tattoos are so last year. In fact, the Dellzeqq Rule of Tattoos can be summed up thusly. If Jess Cartner-Morley hasn't got it, I ain't having it.
2. Lezyne is so en pointe. Pound to a penny that darling girl with the plaits and the floral frock has a pump at home, but the Look Mum house track pump (set permanently to Schrader) is just the perfect conversation piece.
3. Lavender. OMG! Not exactly lavender, but certainly on the dusky side of hydrangea. Lavender rims. Lavender cardie. Lavender bar tape! (On a De Rosa bike - tell you what, fella, keep the bar tape......)
Text Susie and Claudine in blind panic. Lavender is the new cappucino (remember that cappucino is the new celeste). Why am I not on trend? Ponder furiously. Is it lavender or is it hydrangea? How is one to bring some lavender to the rossoverdi look?
Salvation arrives in the shape of a Rouleur poster. Of course - how could I have been so foolish! Go maglia rosa! With azzure! Who needs 'lavender' when you can have the real thing...........
Equilibrium re-established I schlepp down CS7 to Brixton Cycles in search of brake cables, pasteis de nata and um galao, burning off a couple of thirtysomethings en route. And relax.....
People say to me 'Simon, you are so effortlessly a la mode'. If only they knew.......
