bike day 2.0

Sherlock got most of his bike gear for Christmas...got his helmet...so we arranged a little surprise. L and Mycroft and I set off into the cold and the wet, and eventually met Sherlock and Mrs Hudson near Harrow so Sherlock could have his first ride in real traffic without it being in the middle of London.

And so I could practice with Mycroft on the back of my bike, and in poor weather, in an effort to make L feel a bit less nervous about my abilities. And also obviously because I do need the practice, but he does occasionally give me this concerned look that makes me feel as if I ought to be asking permission before I ride in the rain.

It was cold. It was wet. I may have mention that already, but the cold and wet featured prominently in our day and bear repeating. At one point I thought my fingers might never uncurl, just be frozen permanently in handle bar gripping position.

Not cold enough, of course, because it's still rain and not the S word.

Snowflake close up

We stopped briefly for tea/coffee/cocoa, and three of us sat there, more or less in silence, and listened to Sherlock's nonstop monologue on the wonders of bike riding, all while still wearing his jacket and clutching his helmet to his chest. He's now in bed with boots beside the bed and helmet on bedside table. I think it's going to be a little while before the excitement wears off. 

Also, here's this. Presumably the orange was a suggested healthier alternative. 

Leave town with an orange and pretend you're laughing at it.