This is my new-to-me Raleigh bike. I found her at a garage sale last Saturday. I got her all buffed and the bearings in the back hub repacked and voila! She will be moving to her city home next week but for now, I’m letting her enjoy the seaside before the stress of the city. Baby steps. Always baby steps. Don’t want to give the ol’ gal a bicycle-breakdown right off the bat. She’s been living in a garage and by the look of the dust on her rims, she hasn’t seen a street for some time.

I’ve kitted her out with some extra panniers for shopping, found an old lock and now all that’s needed is a rear view mirror so I can see those stupid Hummers when they come down the bike lane.

I really wanted to call her Myrtle but Kevin suggested Polly. I like that Polly rhymes with Raleigh but looks so different. How the heck does that all work? English is a very strange language. Polly makes me smile.