Moultoneer - Waddy
The latest in our regular series of profiles of riders of Pashley and Moulton bicycles.
Tell us a little about yourself
Yo, my name is ‘Waddy’, I do actually have a proper christian name that was allocated to me back in the 1950s but my nickname usurped it from a very early age and its been many years since I’ve been addressed by any other title.
What do you do for a living?
I’m retired. I was a career Police Officer for 30 years and then moved into education working with spirited kids who, shall we say, needed a little, errr… guidance; I’m now retired again & am currently looking to take up a volunteer role with the NT, apparently my life coach (wife) has decided it will do me good to be out of the house!
What are you passionate about?
I have a list here somewhere, where to start?!?! Litter, when did it become acceptable to drop detritus? If I was made Emperor for a day I would decree that littering of any form would attract a mandatory life sentence, that’d sort it.
On a positive note I have a passion for (in no particular order) Land Rovers (series & Defender only thank you), Montidori Sangiovese, Blackburn Rovers, Patterjack Terriers (I have a rather single minded variant) music from the 70s, pies, loose tea, walking for the sake of it, metal detecting, M*A*S*H 4077, the Shipping Forecast, Desert Island Discs, craft beer, Lancashire cheese, WW2 history and as I’ve got older, a long hot bath with Epsom Salts.
What is your earliest memory of riding a bike?
Blocks! Like many of our generation, my first proper bike was about 10 sizes too big to allow for growth & getting value for money, to facilitate such lengthy ownership, great big blocks of wood were bolted onto the pedals which allowed for even the most stunted of children being able to rotate the cranks, I suspect in this day & age such a measure would see the parents prosecuted for child neglect.
In those wonderful bygone days of self-reliance when mobile phones didn’t exist I have a memory of my Mum taping a 2p bit to my crossbar just in case I needed to use the phone in an emergency, I was under strict instructions not to spend it on sweets.
What was your first bike?
I don't remember the make or model, as previously mentioned I just remember the blocks... I also had a blue Chopper which was an early variant with handlebars which could be adjusted backwards causing the infamous ‘Chopper wobble’.
How long have you been a cyclist?
As a 50s child if you didn't ride a bike you remained tethered... I never thought of myself as a ‘cyclist’, riding a bike was & always has been a way of getting out of the house & perhaps of utmost importance, being untethered.
How many bikes do you own?
Rather too many I suspect (is it possible to have too many bikes?); I have, in no particular order, a Brompton which is black & yellow in colour, a Fat Chance Yo Eddy single speed, a Yeti 575, a Focus Jam2 Carbon e-Bike & a Municycle.
I also have a rather splendid Moulton TSR 27 in Citrus Green which brings me here; my wife and I were enjoying a leisurely bicycle ride along the Stratford Greenway on our Bromptons when my saddle developed a rattle, so after a quick Greggs coffee & sausage roll stop I wandered into the Traditional Bike Shop to borrow an allen key and there I saw it, the said Citrus Moulton sat proud as punch beckoning me... Fran threw me the keys and the rest is history, well, not quite, my wife ordered one too!
What is your dream bike?
I prefer to leave this to John Lennon…
“As a kid I had a dream, I wanted to own my own bicycle. When I got the bike I must have been the happiest boy in Liverpool, maybe the world. I lived for that bike. Most kids left their bike in the backyard at night. Not me. I insisted on taking mine indoors and the first night I even kept it in my bed”
What appeals to you about cycling?/What does cycling mean to you?
Being untethered…
What do you dislike about cycling?
Strava, the Lycra brigade, having to share space with big metal objects piloted by idiots... usually Audis, observing litter strewn verges…
How often do you ride your bike, and for what purpose?
I don't identify with any ‘category’ of cyclists, I just rather enjoy riding a bicycle; I have a pathological loathing of winter and struggle with riding in the wind and rain, however, the coming of Spring (being my favourite season) will see me riding everywhere & anywhere.
For many years now I’ve signed up to the April #30daysofbiking pledge, it’s a great way to cast off the frosty demons of winter & connect with kindred souls across the globe.
I think the book ‘Bicycle Diaries by David Byrne’ adequately describes what I love about riding bikes, it’s kind of a Zen Guide to Bicycling.
What’s your favourite cycle route or destination?
Traffic free routes such as the Tarka & Camel Trail where my wife & I rode our Moultons last summer, although funnily enough I rather perversely enjoy the thrill that can be gained by zipping through busy city streets.
What’s your top cycling tip?
Always carry an allen key, otherwise it can prove to be an expensive ride.
You can follow Waddy (Fat Cog) on Twitter - @Shockabilly
You can follow 30 Days of Biking on Twitter - @30daysofbiking
You can borrow David Byrne’s Bicycle Diaries from The Traditional Cycle Shop’s lending library - to borrow a cycling-related book all you have to do is donate one.