Long train a'coming......to Manchester?

So here's before and after photos (well, after and before..I can't get the hang of this insert HTML thing) showing the new tyres. Me and the boys went for a ride yesterday - first proper cake run of the year. There was plenty of crap still on the roads, so I was suprised the owner of the rather posh restaurant in Dinnet let 3 mucky bikers in for coffee and cake, although we were ever-so well behaved. The new tyres are quite confidence-inspiring, so I managed to keep up with the others, although to be fair, Andy was leading and he is a bit of a wimp (allegedly).

The problem I have is - and here I am expecting comments like 'you're a big girls blouse' from a well-known lady biker - the problem is that Charles Atlas course I enrolled in didn't give me the bulging biceps I expected, so I'm...er...struggling with the weight of the bike. Yeah it's great once I'm rolling, but manoevering it around is an excercise in panic and fear. So, deep breath here and speak really fast, Iwenttothebikeshopandtestrodeanotherbiketoday.

I know, I know, I've just got it and I should give it a chance and it's a really great bike... but if I'm honest I convinced myself I wanted a tourer, when all I want to do is loon around and pretend I'm 18 and pull wheelies down Union street.

I've got a couple of days to decide what to do - I'm off tomorrow on a train to Manchester, which seems like it could be a great adventure as I'm not a public transport sort of person. And I have to take buses when I get to the other end and stay in a hotel, the organisation of which has severly taxed my patience as I make it a rule NEVER to book anything in advance, then visit my favourite hospital, Christies. I also thought to hire a car and visit some classic bike shops in the area, but lost my powers of organisation after the rigours of ScotRail online booking system so I'll probably just take a taxi to 'Curry Mile' and avail myself of some fine ethnic food. Blimey, I'm exhausted just writing about it!