Maybe it's the first blush of love, or lust, but I went away for a weeks camping with the soup dragon, and found myself missing my bike. This is not some weird form of mechanophilia (it's real look it up - I saw a very scary programme on it) but a feeling that I could still be popping out for a ride on the beautiful quiet lanes of North Norfolk. It would have helped take away the shame of the mandatory camp site cooked breakfast as well. (yes six of them - how many miles do I have to do in penitence?)
Gawd bless her cotton socks but the wife then says it's so beautiful here I'd be happy enough to sit and sun bathe whilst you go out on your bike - argument won before it even started!
Anyhow back on Friday after a hell of a journey - feeling sorry for all those who are just travelling up to start their holidays, called in via Decathlon sports and now I am the proud owner of a pair of bib shorts - slightly less proud that it appears I am now size extra large. I may look a bit foolish in front of the bedroom mirror, but they are far more comfortable. Add that to my two riding shirts for £7 bargain from ebay, and my own spd shoes, I now feel the part, look the part(?) and if all goes well will soon start riding as if I know what I am doing.
Time to unpack the tent etc and then out for a quick 8 miles around the local lanes, just for the fun of it. Then the following day (yesterday) another 15.5 miles, my longest ride yet. It passes by in such a flash I am finding it hard to imagine the distances. Still it took just over an hour, but I am confident that as we go along I'll soon be comfortably doing much further. Need to get a groips of using the full rotation of the pedal properly esp[ecially when going up hill, still very much a conscious effort to make sure the spd's give me the benefit. As soon as I remember, I find myself accelerating up hills.
Feel like I am starting to be a bike nerd going on about distances, perhaps a throw back from army days, when I used to enjoy the challenge of running long distances. I don't even have a clue what a good daily distance should be, or even if there is such a thing. Perhaps a good daily distance = the distance you can cycle whilst enjoying yourself plus a little bit more, just to build in improvement.
Another thing I have learnt though - other road riders are a cheery lot, a wave of the hand, nod of the head, a smile as they pass. If this keeps up, I may have to find myself a cycle club!
Gawd bless her cotton socks but the wife then says it's so beautiful here I'd be happy enough to sit and sun bathe whilst you go out on your bike - argument won before it even started!
Anyhow back on Friday after a hell of a journey - feeling sorry for all those who are just travelling up to start their holidays, called in via Decathlon sports and now I am the proud owner of a pair of bib shorts - slightly less proud that it appears I am now size extra large. I may look a bit foolish in front of the bedroom mirror, but they are far more comfortable. Add that to my two riding shirts for £7 bargain from ebay, and my own spd shoes, I now feel the part, look the part(?) and if all goes well will soon start riding as if I know what I am doing.
Time to unpack the tent etc and then out for a quick 8 miles around the local lanes, just for the fun of it. Then the following day (yesterday) another 15.5 miles, my longest ride yet. It passes by in such a flash I am finding it hard to imagine the distances. Still it took just over an hour, but I am confident that as we go along I'll soon be comfortably doing much further. Need to get a groips of using the full rotation of the pedal properly esp[ecially when going up hill, still very much a conscious effort to make sure the spd's give me the benefit. As soon as I remember, I find myself accelerating up hills.
Feel like I am starting to be a bike nerd going on about distances, perhaps a throw back from army days, when I used to enjoy the challenge of running long distances. I don't even have a clue what a good daily distance should be, or even if there is such a thing. Perhaps a good daily distance = the distance you can cycle whilst enjoying yourself plus a little bit more, just to build in improvement.
Another thing I have learnt though - other road riders are a cheery lot, a wave of the hand, nod of the head, a smile as they pass. If this keeps up, I may have to find myself a cycle club!
No comments:
Post a Comment