Recycke-a-Bike

Some time ago I bought a bike. I bought it for a mere £35 from a rather nice man whose ad I spotted on Gumtree. I traveled out to Dunblane to get it and I cycled back. It was love. Cycling was definitely something I wanted to be doing on a daily basis. Now, many of you may have been cautious of such a well-​priced bike and you’d have been right. But I’m an eternal optimist. — £35 poorer, I rode off into the Stirling hills.
My bike served me well. I got through autumn and winter. I saved bus fares to uni, popped to the shops and generally loved that cyclist feeling of the wind in my hair. Then, spring had sprung and so had my left brake, popping out every now and then and just proving to be a general nuisance. I’d pop it back in hesitantly. If there’s one thing you really do need for a bike, it’s the brakes. And so, it wasn’t long before the brakes blew completely and my head was filled with thoughts of a new, pretty bike. (My old bike was no looker, poor thing!)
Recyke-​a-​Bike generally has a buzz around Stirling as the place to go for recycled second-​hand bikes and you’ll often see their sticker on the frame of re-​worked bikes all over the uni campus. Cycling is becoming increasingly popular among students and many don’t take their bike with them when they leave, so it makes sense to buy second-​hand. After a few weeks bike-​less and penny-​saving, I headed to Recycke-​a-​Bike for a browse. OOOH, BIKES. — There’s quite the selection. I was taken to the general ladies offerings and they resembled my old bike with thick tyres and a large frame. This time round I was looking for something thinner and lighter. The helpful lady took me to the smaller selection of road and hybrid bikes. And there I saw him…
He was bright blue, a beauty, a bargain. Did I want to try the bike outside? Yes, please! I reserved the bike till payday. (They reserve for a max of 7 days.) Come payday I went to collect the bike. I paid. The lovely man gave the tyres a quick pump and off I rode, happy as could be.
The only thing I will say is that on my two visits there weren’t many members of staff on the shop floor so I did have to wait a little, which I was happy to do. Also, staff do sometimes deal with more than one person at a time. Although, to be fair, the really cool stuff happens in the warehouse at the back and if you take a peep you’ll catch them at work. — They’re literally making the bikes part by part. Kudos to them.
Bus fares saved? Tick. Pop to the shops? Tick. Wind in hair? Tick.
Fan of Recycke-​a –Bike? Tick!