Last year I ticked a box on my interior “bucket list” by participating in a bike making workshop at the NY Bamboo Bike studio. This was one of the best things I did last year, apart from visiting family, for a whole range of reasons.

Firstly I fell in love with New York City. The traffic is crazy but the people were incredibly friendly (their reputation of being brash and rude was not evident on my visit). NYC is alive and it is stimulating. I got to see Robert di Nero in Shakespeare in the Park and ride my bike in the craziest places.

The guys at the Bamboo Studio are fantastic and guide you every step of the way to ensure you have a safe and aethetically pleasing bike fitted for you. This year they are commencing production of these bikes in Ghana in a project in association with Columbia University.

I use the bike to commute and it is a joy as it is so light and manouverable.

Another box on my list is to participate in the New York Marathon. Last year I entered the lottery and have done so again this year so it will happen someday. My body is not really made for distance as I’m no whippet but I love the zen of training long and the challenge of distance events. Whenever I feel as if I am fooling myself I think of the account of the race and the pics posted by “the Fat Cyclist” http://www.fatcyclist.com/ and my enthusiam for future participation returns threefold. The Fat Cyclist is funny, real and irreverent. He is worth reading.