How to… Back-pedal
Not the sort of back-pedalling that you use to stop a fixed-wheel bike. In this instance what we mean is more the sort of back-pedalling you use to reverse out of an awkward cycling-related situation you’ve made for yourself.
Take, for instance, the possibility that someone takes it upon themselves to call you out on an exaggeration about a race result from long ago, perhaps by producing in person an unexpected witness.
“When I said I beat Bradley Wiggins in a time trial I meant the one who used to ride for the London Dynamo. I didn’t mean this one. And hello, Sir Brad, it’s an honour to meet you.”
Other useful phrases include, “Yes, I know I said it was too hot to cut the grass, and then went out for a five-hour ride instead, but it’s important to include training to deal with heat-stress. Otherwise… I could die.”
“Yes, it is a new bike. Sorry, when we agreed that I wasn’t going to buy a new bike this year I assumed we meant financial year, not calendar year. I mean it’s clearly more of an investment than a luxury. Well, really, dear, you should have made that clearer.”
“No, I didn’t clean my bike in the kitchen again. Our wonderful son must have done it, as a delightful surprise for me. And we can hardly punish him for the horrible, horrible mess, since he was just trying to do something nice. Yes, he has done a good job for a five-year-old.”