Trò chuyện cuộc sống

Jackie: For last week's business podcast we talked about the electronic bike but for this week's podcastsinenglish.com we're talking about bicycling in general. Helen is with me. Hi, Helen.

Helen: Hello

Jackie: Do you have a bicycle, Helen?

Helen: I do, I've not used it for a while though.

Jackie: You've got a bike?

Helen: [laughs] Yes, of course I have a bike.

Jackie: I thought the answer was going to be no. What kind of bike is it?

Helen: Just a road bike, a mountain bike.

Jackie: A mountain bike?

Helen: Yes

Jackie: So how often have you used it?

Helen: When I lived in Jersey, in the Channel Islands, I used to cycle to and from work and then when I moved two and a half years ago I wanted to bring the bikes with us. So we brought them, they took up lots of space in the truck coming over, and I've used it once because it's too hilly where I live.

Jackie: Oh, bit too steep.

Helen: Yes

Jackie: So can you remember, Helen, when you first learnt to ride a bicycle?

Helen: Yes, vaguely, I was with my mum; the bike was yellow.

Jackie: How old were you?

Helen: Um... don't know, probably about five or six, I think, maybe a bit older but I can remember being um... a lot... quite a lot older, maybe 9, ten and learning to ride a bike with two wheels as opposed to the two wheels and the stabilisers...

Jackie: So the first bike had stabilisers?

Helen: Yes and then my “big girls' bike'” we took the stabilisers off and I can remember being at my nan and grandad's house cos they lived on a very quiet cul-de-sac road and my mum running up and down the road pushing me...

Jackie: From behind?

Helen: From behind, yes, and I can remember falling off and then getting very upset.

Jackie: It's... I have a very similar memory and I think I was probably about the same kind of age as well when I was on... on the... you know, the more grown-up bike without the stabilisers. I can't remember who was pushing me but I remember it was a country lane and I remember someone was pushing me and without realising it they had let go.

Helen: Yeah, I think that's the... that's the trick that parents play... play on you [laughs]

Jackie: But then when I knew that they had let go...

Helen: You fell off

Jackie: I panicked and fell off, yeah. I was very keen... in my twenties I was very, very keen on cycling and um... when I was university I used to cycle everywhere and I remember also going to France, with my bicycle, and watching the end of the Tour de France...

Helen: Oh, yes?

Jackie: ...and cycling round France, and I remember...

Helen: On the flat bit

Jackie: Yes, on the flat bit [Helen laughs] but... but having said that I also remember um...going on a serious cycling holiday in Italy and cycling between Florence and Sienna over the hills.

Helen: Oh, you see I would hate every second of that.

Jackie: I know I was quite fit. But um... I do have a bicycle and it's just sitting in my parent's garage.