I've Got The London Look

Nail varnish. The obvious essential for a long distance bike ride. Well, maybe not but it does have a place in cycling or so I have read. Recently I put it to the test.

Unlike car manufacturers, bicycle makers do not appear to provide matching paint colours for their products - that such an opportunity has been overlooked seems surprising in today's consumerist and overly monetised world. I found this out while hunting for manufacturers' paint on line, along with the gem that nail varnish is an excellent substitute when trying to cover those annoying paint chips on your two-wheeled steed. Take your bike frame to the cosmetics counter to ensure the best colour match it suggested.

In terms of preparation for my forthcoming trip this is hardly a priority but I have been planning to sort those small chips out for a while.  I guess it is a sign of the times that when a greying sixty-something man (without bike frame) asks for matt black nail varnish at the cosmetics counter of Bath's upmarket department store no one bats an eyelid. It was only when I was being shown '…a nice dark blue which is almost black' that I explained the purpose. The lady seemed more surprised by this than anything else and kindly pointed me to Boots as a better option for my needs.  As I said to her when I was told the price, I love my bike but I don’t love it enough to spend over thirty pounds on a small pot of Dior varnish. 

At Boots there was again no batting of over-lashed eyelids but more success in finding a suitable colour and price. A bottle of Rimmel 'Black Obsession' for just over six pounds seemed to fit the bill nicely (far better I thought than their 'Rita's Black', whoever she may be) and the results too seem successful on those areas where I have tried it so far.