Jack Duckworth was aghast in June 2004 when Vera purchased an exercise bike to help him get fit and came up with a plan for him to cycle the distance to Cleethorpes and back. Under strong pressure, he carried out her instructions, wearing a very unfetching pair of bright orange, Lycra cycling shorts (which he complained made "it look like a pound of oranges". "Overripe Satsumas, you mean" replied Vera).
After a couple of weeks, Vera came under the influence of newly arrived, fashion-conscious Londoner Frankie Baldwin who told her that exercise bikes were passé and instead gyms were the in-thing. Jack was delighted to hear he could sell the wretched machine and put an advert in the paper. Soon afterwards, jogging pensioner Ernie Crabbe turned up at 9 Coronation Street, desperately out of breath and just making it to the house. Jack showed him the bike, telling him that there was nothing wrong with it but that it just didn't suit his lop-sided groin! Ernie explained that he needed to get into shape for a forthcoming inter-pub bowls challenge and bought the machine.
- The part of Ernie was played, in a cameo appearance, by comedy legend Sir Norman Wisdom.