Changing to pedal power

We’ve decided that if we’re going to lead a lower carbon life, then one of the cars has to go.

Yes, that means the Other Half will sell her Land Rover Discovery, my Defender will become the family car (well, the OH’s car), and I’ll be getting a tricycle.

We’re opting for the Winther Kangaroo because, while a substantial investment for us, it comes virtually complete except for front lights, can carry two children, is very robust, has good weather protection for the passengers, has proper seats with seat belts and can carry a load of up to 100kg.

It can also be upgraded with an electric motor for assistance on the hills around here, especially when I moving a 100kg load as well as myself and the trike.

The clinching factor was the name. It seems appropriate for an Aussie in Scotland to be seen riding a Kangaroo!

Of course, I didn’t pay the full retail price of £1,695 for the Kangaroo. No, I still have a little sense left to me.

The UK agent was selling three on ebay at a varying discounts in the lead-up to Christmas, so I snapped up the one with the biggest discount, which brought it in at £1,295 including delivery.

A further £40 was knocked off the bill as I opted to assemble it myself, instead of having it assembled at a bike shop and then collecting with the the Defender and trailer.

But even at £1,255, that’s still a lot of cash for us.

We decided to use our emergency credit card to buy the Kangaroo, then tidy up the Discovery when the Kangaroo arrives and put the car on the market for about £2,000. We can then pay the credit card off in full.

The remaining cash, hopefully between £500 and £750, will then go for all the other bits and pieces I’ll need if I’m to be reasonably sensible about going down this route. If indeed, it can be made sensible!

I’ll need lights (very good ones for windy country roads on dark Scottish nights), a good helmet (with rain cover and winter pack), good high-visibility cycling waterproofs, waterproof and windproof gloves, additional reflectors and reflective tape, tools, pump and a few other odds and ends.

Lights aside, the most important thing is going to be high-quality winter cycling clothing.

Doing 15mph into a slight head wind in temperatures of -5 to -10C (and sometimes lower) will mean serious wind chill, so good gloves, a warm helmet and face protection will be vital.

With the clothing, it will need to be breathable and wick away sweat when I’m working hard, but I also need to be sure that rain, sleet and snow don’t penetrate.

I’m already getting some useful advice from regular cyclists, including Rodger in South Africa (thanks, mate) and a bloke who cycles past regularly, but more would be useful - particularly on lights and clothing.

So, in a few weeks time I’ll be trying to build a rather more complicated flat-pack than usual - which I’ll document and post on the blog.

Is anyone else brave enough or mad enough to join us as we replace dino-diesel power with porridge-fuelled leg power?