Is it you they are describing here:-
<"The LAS has launched a traffic-busting team of bicycle ambulances in central London. Six ambulance technicians and paramedics will be working in a one-kilometre area around Leicester and Trafalgar Squares, Soho and Covent Garden. They will be targeted primarily at patients who are not believed to be in a life-threatening condition, although they will also attend more serious emergencies as well.">
see under http://www.londonambulance.nhs.uk/news/latest/latest.html
(DB)

Not quite, although they do an excellent job and have had all sorts of awards. It has also cut on scene times in the area which they cover by a hell of a lot.

Stick with it. It will not be long before they stop laughing at your legs, probably only take about 6 weeks to build up those calf muscles into something to be proud of, until then wear trousers.
As for the saddle, go for a Specialized Body Geometry Comfort Plus Saddle, it'll stop any discomfort, numbness and the possibility of male erectile dysfunction.

ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION!

No-one told me about that!

So I'll have the nice legs to attract the ladies, but the inability to do anything about it...

Glad ye started, is it one of those all terrain types ? with as many gears that ye have as digits. Wind: ye will learn to slipstream [ mighty Illegal but oh!] but not when there is that nice ice, that ye cannae see [ I don't know what the P.C. word is for that skating condition in your world]. Ye will love the savings on petrol and the girls do luv nice legs [ I know I won the Knobbly knee comp. at Butlins 50 odd years back] Enjoy.

It's the cheapest bike I could find (I'm under no illusions about keeping this fitness thing going) with 6 gears and some front gear McGubbin that I'm afraid to touch. I'm hoping to avoid Black Ice (sod the PC brigade) by riding on the green cycle routes and the savings on petrol are indeed being looked forward to - although because my car is only a 1.0 litre and therefore doesn't cost that much to run (but a hell of a lot to insure).

Deja vu. I too bought a bicycle and thought I would ride it during the weekends and after work, in order to keep fit. But after a couple of times, up and down the road where I live, my bicycle is pretty much a whilte elephant. I hope you keep at it longer than I do.

reve

Well I seem to still be enjoying it so far, and I do so love the outdoors life.

Dont worry about the sore arse. It will be fine after a couple of days of cycling. Keep up the good work. :-)

-PhastPhrog

P.S. Love the blog - keep that up as well.

I agree, the saddle soreness will go away very very soon, your calves will be like steel, your thighs similarly so and you *will* find running upstairs becomes stupidly easy.
Must say I love the blog too, I'm trying to get into the Scottish Ambulance Service and am popping off for my first observation shift in a few hours. Can't wait!

good luck on the observation shift, you'll either be bored, or really excited - I'd put money on the 'excited'. And why would I even want to run up stairs?

Thankyou, your money's safe. Had a fabulous shift, almost as though someone had planned it all for me, they'd sat down and said "Ok, let's give Kal..."

Dull transports.

Interesting transports.

Treble 9's where Kal's first aid can be applied.

Treble 9's where Kal won't have the first idea what the hell is going on.
A D&I.

A despatch cock up "Nonono, not *that* 53 XXXXX Street, the OTHER XXXXX Street" "Oh, you mean the XXXXX Street that's 9 miles from the one you originally sent us to?"

And then, just as the shift was coming to a close, an arrest, including the lines "Ok guys, I'll keep out the way and watch" "Will you bollocks, get in here and start compressions".

And none of it, not even the fact that I saw the last guy declared in Resus once we got him in, has discouraged me at all. In fact, quite the opposite, bring it on.
Now, time to get that C1/D1 on my licence....

When I used to live in London, cycling back from work was the highlight of my day. It kinda felt liberating (it was almost a 1-hour cycle). But then again, I used to sit at a desk all day, not run around saving lives and picking up drunks. I found the fitness bit a by-product. To me it help me clear my mind... come to think of it, I miss it. Also, London is a great place ot cycle.

there will always be times when you don't feel like cycling, especially when it is inclement - but you learn to deliberate about the possibility of not cycling for long enough, so that by the time you've made your decision, either way, you are on the bike - you will probably know by now how difficult it is to break the momentum - it is a marvellous way of getting round - you will get more time to look at things, but still move at a fair pace - good luck

great writing, by the way - very direct - refreshing

I just hope you stick to it longer than I did. I really need a comfy saddle though (and no, my arse did not get used to it - it bloody hurt!). Maybe once my bum is comfy I might go out more than once a year.

Um, or maybe it's because my bum is comfy elsewhere that I don't.

This brought back memories. :)

The saddle was never a problem to me (girls tend to have a nice fatty layer there I guess), but when I started cycling, and later when my company move 5kms out of the city up on a little hill, the first week was terrible.
The second week was ok.
Then it was pleasant.

The hills have this nice tendency to flatten down when you tackle them everyday.
So keep up the exercise, and making it in 20mn when you thought you'd take two hours is interesting...

No matter how fancy your saddle is, or how cheap and nasty, your bum will probably be sore for the first month. Then it will be fine forever.

Bu erectile disfuynction concern is a real concern - though perhaps not a major one if you're only doing 20-minute rides.

Go on! go for it, you'll soon have muscular bronzed legs and the skin in the groin area will harden up! You'll be the envy of the LAS.

Try getting a new fat gel saddle from Halfords or a good bike shop. They look silly but mine isn't half comfortable when you've got a large middle-aged backside.