Granny wheels

Whilst out cycling yesterday, I was thinking about how some 'macho' people like to tut (and sometimes suck air through their teeth whilst shaking their heads) and put down the whole premise of having a third chainwheel (aka 'granny wheel') on one's road bike.

Such people seem to use the term 'granny wheel' or 'granny ring' as a little bit of a patronising put down. This is where my thinking came in...

I liked both my grannies, so it's not really a terribly offensive name for a bicycle part. If anything, it's quite endearing. Had the third chainwheel been called a 'Hitler ring' or something along those lines, it might be more of a worry. Anyway, that's what I was thinking when I should have been concentrating on all the thorny hedge clippings all over the road. To think, I still managed to avoid a puncture regardless. Those Continental Duraskins they stuck on my bike must have magical properties, or maybe I've been pretty fortunate.