Yes, the girlfriend Pista is coming with me to uni. In fact, it’ll be getting me around the place a lot of the time. Why sit on a bus when I can get to my destination faster, for free, and at the same time catching some fresh air? Although I have insurance, I’ve spent a bit of time preparing it. I’ve stripped the bike of all expensive stuff that will be easy to steal; I’ve put on my beat-to-shit Tritip saddle, cheap pedals with old-school straps (I can’t walk around the place with my race shoes on all day!), and I’ve also changed my gear ratio. 

I also picked up this awesome lock, which comes with a cable, too. The manufacturer of the lock actually gives customers £600 cover if the bike were to be stolen; add that to the amount I will get from my bank and I have well over £2000 worth of insurance on my steed. I’ve looked around Nottingham earlier this year and there’s actually a lot of places to lock up a bike, and I saw people locking up bikes that were way more expensive than mine, so I’ll be okay. 

Riding at night will be a certainty, particularly as the nights are drawing in at this time of year. I found a couple of these cute little lights which will ensure that I’m seen; don’t worry, I’m sticking to street lit roads. 

All I need to find now is a decent mudguard (like the one on this bike), a bike bag (to make hauling the bike on the train back and forth easier), and some shoes that can be worn both on the bike and off it. Other than that, I’m all set to go!