Introducing…

I’d like to take a moment to introduce you all to Super Hans Solo, Hans for short 💛 

The name

Hans is a lovely vintage Raleigh Solo, (hence part of the name!), and came into my life towards the end of February.
Seeing as I’ve been quarantined for the last 12 days (I’m not counting, are you?), I thought I’d give Hans a little Sunshine facelift and I think it looks Super 😁 I’m also a big Peep Show fan… hence the rest of the name!

After having two bikes stolen in the last two years, I had to go on the hunt for an old run around as I was so lost without a bike 🚲

I’ll be honest, the hunt didn’t take long at all and I feel like it was meant to be when I spotted Hans in the bike shop (Greg’s Cycles on Mill Road) opposite my favourite Cheese Toastie spot - big up Urban Larder!  🧀  

Raleigh romance

Being from Nottingham, I’ve always had Raleigh bikes growing up and whenever I see a vintage one, it makes my heart leap as it both fills me with happiness and home sickness 🙃

Pi, my last city bike was a Raleigh Pioneer I got back when I lived in Nottingham and she cost me a box of Maltesers - the seller wouldn’t take any money but I wanted to give something in return, so I offered chocolate!

Bye Bye Pi

I’d given Pi a beautiful wicker basket, adorned with sunflowers and she proudly wore my childhood bike bell on her handlebars 🌻 We were together for over ten years and my heart broke when she was taken from Cambridge city centre just before Christmas 2020.

Last year my wonderful Mum, who used to work for Raleigh, gave me her old bike to restore and use. A beautiful little one-off prototype, a Raleigh Camille who I fondly named Cam, and got serviced, ready to ride around Cambridge!

Bad luck

Sadly Cam’s frame was too small for my lanky legs and too uncomfortable to ride so she went back home to my Mum. But it was OK, because I still had my fancy roadie, Clarice to whizz about on…

…until some arsehole decided to break into my friend’s garden and steal her! That was the day after Valentine’s Day, this year, and it still hurts 💔

Anywho… that brings us to why I was perving at bikes on Mill Road, whilst I may or may not have been following a craving for melted cheese!

Meant to be

As I was looking at the pile of bikes outside Greg’s Cycles, I spied a beautifully familiar Raleigh logo winking at me! Not quite the city bike I was looking for but a lovely looking vintage road bike, so I asked for a closer look and took a test drive (ride!)… and the rest is history!

She was the perfect size for me and in great condition, other than needing some fresh grip tape and new saddle. So within about 10 minutes Super Hans Solo was all mine and I was sat across the road, stuffing my face with a cheese toastie 🧀 HAPPY DAYS!

The facelift

A very small, minimal-cost project but one that’s made me SUPER happy! Not only has Hans got some new and rather yellow, squishy grip tape, there’s a sunshiney saddle to match ☀️

I also dug out my old yellow wire frame basket to pop on the rear rack - perfect for extra snack shopping! And the pièce de résistance, something that means the absolute world to me and still puts a lump in my throat…

…a replacement of my childhood bike bell that got stolen with Pi! Gifted to me by my bestie on my birthday last year, I cried hard when I unwrapped it and realised what Claire had found for me. I still cannot get over receiving such a special and thoughtful gift 💛

Oooft! My eyes are getting sweaty thinking about all this, so I think I’ll call it a day now. I hope you’ve enjoyed meeting Hans and finding out a little bit more about me and my bikes?

Here’s hoping I have more luck with this set of wheels!

🍀