In 2023 I was looking for a classic steel bike. The Massi was too precious for everyday riding and the frame was too small. I had been reading about the golden era of British lightweights. Everything fell into place when I saw a Viking MileEater on eBay for £50. It was collection only from Birmingham (where I was already expecting to be.) and so a few days later in April I collected my new machine.

The seller explained he had bought it thinking it was a high-end bike, but this model was from the late 70's / early 80's, after production had moved to Northern Ireland. At this point the company focussed on volume mass produced bikes. While it was well made, it was certainly cheap. Fortunately it had been well looked after and maintained. It went great however, the brake blocks and tires were old and dried out. With it's saddle and cables in white and neon blue paint - it looked great!

The bike was great fun to ride. I was determined to spend the absolute minimum on this bike. Although I regarded it as a "beater" I did complete the Eastbourne Middle Distance Triathlon on it. There is something incredibly carefree about riding a £50 bike in London. I could leave it outside the Prince Charles Cinema and I know it would still be there after midnight. I had it six months or so and enjoyed every minute. Apart from the shockingly bad brakes.