Today I rode my friend Jenna's bike up the road and into the town of Amberley. It is only about 5 km which is a good distance to ride a bike for the purpose of errands, and also if you haven't ridden a bike in a while. My only errand was to visit the library. I got a library card last weekend (thanks to a piece of mail with my new address on it!) and have been enjoying visiting there immensely. I am actually really thankful that there is a library in Amberley because they have free internet and interesting books.
One thing that I have realized about bikes in New Zealand (and, I suspect, anywhere where people drive on the left) is that the brakes are opposite from what I'm used to at home. The rear brake is on the left side here, not the right. Which takes a little getting used to. I've concluded that this is so you still have access to your rear brake for stopping while you are using your other hand to signal a turn. In the states you'd use your left hand to do this, because you'd be riding on the right, whereas here on the left hand side of the road, you'd want to signal with your right hand. Crazy. It actually took me about three times of riding a bike before I realized that using my right hand to brake was having some unexpected effects!
On my way back home today I timed myself: 18 minutes to bike the 5 km, including putting the bike away and hanging up my jacket. Not too shabby!
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