All I want to do is ride bikes with you

Well, I have now managed one cycling trip office-to-station, and one station-to-office. Am not dead.

( Tedious detail, including Reading's cycle routes )

In conclusion: I'm very slow and a bit wobbly, and a bit out of practice at being on a bike. I am very bad at even gentle inclines. Hopefully these things will improve with time :) My saddle issue has not magically resolved itself; I shall experiment with hoping it'll get better, probably before giving in and buying a new saddle. Overall, I'm quite impressed with the quantity and quality of cycle routage Reading has.