"FOUR WHEELS GOOD, TWO WHEEL'S BAD" *

 * With apologies to George Orwell.

Richard, the anti-cycle grump from Wainuiomata(?) - a little vocative case joke there - berates cyclists and if he wasn't such a goody-goody would likely run them off the road (if there was no-one watching).

I don't think he's ever ridden a bicycle but if he did it was probably in the days before the advent of motor vehicles so he would have been safe.

"Hey! Where are the girls?"

I on the other hand rode a bicycle from a very early age and used to 'barrel' around Vogeltown with its hills and low volume traffic as a kid.

I had a couple of accidents, one serious, but it didn't put me off riding. I rode to school when at Marist Brother's and St Patrick's and later, briefly, to university.

I also once had an after-school job as a delivery boy working for C.M. Banks Company in Grey Street. I rode a clunky black bike with a large basket in the front and delivered stationery items all over the city, dodging trolley buses, pedestrians and delivery vans.

When living in York a few years ago I bought a bike and daily, rode all over the city and out into the surrounding countryside. It was very safe riding there, not at all like in New Zealand where cyclists are fair game.

New Zealand drivers don't like cyclists so Richard's not alone there. To be fair though the roads generally don't favour cycling and it's only in very recent times that local councils have taken the initiative to put in cycleways to make it safer for cyclists and less annoying to motorists. Also, many cyclists are arrogant bastards who think that they have the right of way on the most dangerous roads.

I brought my cycle back from York and, a year or so ago upgraded it to a better one but to be honest I hardly use it as it's too dangerous on the roads around where I live. It stays in the shed most days.

I've got all the gear (except for lycra clothing) and will occasionally drive to Pataua South where there is no traffic, or into town where there are cycle ways.

"Hey! Where are the girls?"

The other day though, when driving from town to home, on the narrow and windy country road, I was stuck behind a couple of cyclists who made no effort to move aside, cycling along "with abnormal urges to ride and feel free". This was in a 100kph area. I must admit, at that time I empathised with Richard and wondered what he would have done (no-one was watching).