ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
While the clumsy peasants walking toward him parted like the Red Sea, a local finance worker pushed his bespoke road bike up a French Quarter footpath by its seat.
A lesser person, normally, pushed a bike by the handlebars – because that’s how bikes were designed.
However, Roger Daltry isn’t a normal person.
He is a cyclist.
As he waited impatiently for the green man to flash at the intersection of Rue de Putain and Rue le Branlette this morning, the 31-year-old said it’s not as easy as it looks to put a bike the way he does.
“I hope people are impressed, because they should be,” he said.
“Do you know how much this bike cost?”
Our reporter said about a grand.
Roger laughed.
“No mate, this bike it worth $11 000. About a quarter of your annual wage as a journalist. Do you know how smart I am? I told my boss to short Mortgage Choice the day before the Royal Commission ended,”
“My boss said we can’t ‘short’ things like that in the real world, because of regulations and all this legal bullshit but you get the idea.”
However, two tradesman sitting at the lights saw Mr Daltry and his expensive bicycle walking down the street to the interest.
The pair, both unamused and unimpressed, elected to take part in the great Australian pass time that is shouting at strangers from a car.
“Oi,” shouted the driver.
“Oi, you! Cadel Evans!”
Roger turned to look at the builder with the 6-day growth shouting at him.
“Nice ghosty, bro!” shouted the builder.
With a smile, Roger turned back to speak to our reporter before he was interupted again by the builder.
“You fucking wanker!”
With that, the lights changed and everybody went on their way.
More to come.
