The Ah-Ha Ride

The Shadow

I’m not sure where this ride falls on the graph of fitness but down towards the bottom, somewhere.

There can be a point in every rider’s season where each ride ends the same. FFS, I suck. The unabridged volume of self-loathing is reviewed, cogent chapters reread, aloud, in the bathroom. I’m Too Fat To Climb is a chapter I like to quote, chapter and verse.

Luckily stubbornness, the right amount of dumb and experience keep me from throwing my steed in a dumpster. None of us do walk away from our bikes because we have all gone through this, maybe every year. You keep going out, doing the rides, coming home to pull that damn book off the shelf. What happened? Life got in the way again.

We remember being good cyclists. We used to dance up those hills, a slow dance maybe but we danced. The bike and human were one, united in the pleasure and pain of covering vast amounts of ground. But now it’s just sweating, head down graceless riding, listening to friends disappear up the road as they merrily chat away.

Then without warning on a subsequent ride, it happens. Is it cooler? Do I have a tailwind? Did I double down on my espresso? What is going on here? This is the Ah-Ha ride; one of the best rides of the year. Bike would, if it could, be saying, where the hell have you been? There may be no fitness or grace going on yet but there they are, out there on the horizon. And they are getting a little closer. All I want is that signal from the body that improvement is possible. These pointless rides are not pointless. That psychic burden can float away; that idiot book can stay on the shelf. I am a cyclist.

Gianni

Gianni has left the building.

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View Comments

justindcady says:

Oct 25 2014 at 8:21 am

Very familiar with that "FFS, I suck" moment. It was about 2 years ago when I'd decided I would pick up cycling again after a 9 year hiatus. After I graduated HS, through college, and a few years into my current career, I got back into it. Got the '87 Cannondale R700 up and worth being seen in public again. Good lord, did those first few months suck. Lots of, "I used to actually enjoy this?!"

Fast-forward to current times: A '11 Madone 5.2 is now my faithful steed...and I've never been stronger. I love this thing called cycling...and it's pretty bad-ass, too.
Ccos says:

Oct 25 2014 at 8:31 am

@antihero

This is so so so true, Gianni.

On every long ride, I can set my watch by it: starting at the 150km mark, I'll hate myself, my bike, and everything about it. 20km will go by. I'll love myself, my bike, and everything about it. a headwind will appear, {lather, rinse, repeat}.

There's a great quote: "no matter how you feel, be it good or bad, it won't last." Reference to follow.
the-farmer says:

Oct 25 2014 at 9:07 am

I am certainly not at the aha stage at the moment. Due to the nature of my job I have to have almost 3 months off the bike during late summer/early AUTUMN, therefore winter is my time for riding as much possible! Ready for the spring, maybe by next march I might be at the aha stage, but for now mostly at the ffs I suck.
Lazarus Thrift says:

Oct 25 2014 at 10:04 am

I'm so glad that I'm not the only one who encounters this phenomenon!

I often find after a poor spell that my Ah-Ha Ride frequently coincides with a Nine Ride. I have to say, there is nothing more thrilling than flying along a road, exercising my Magnificent Stroke and just wishing there was one more sprocket on my cassette.

We all know the bad rides will happen, but in a way, they make the Good Rides all the sweeter for it!

(As for me, I am currently off the bike with injury, so I'm gonna be FFS-ing all over the shop when I climb back on!)

VLVV.
the-farmer says:

Oct 25 2014 at 11:04 am

@Lazarus Thrift

I'm so glad that I'm not the only one who encounters this phenomenon!

I often find after a poor spell that my Ah-Ha Ride frequently coincides with a Nine Ride. I have to say, there is nothing more thrilling than flying along a road, exercising my Magnificent Stroke and just wishing there was one more sprocket on my cassette.

We all know the bad rides will happen, but in a way, they make the Good Rides all the sweeter for it!

(As for me, I am currently off the bike with injury, so I'm gonna be FFS-ing all over the shop when I climb back on!)

VLVV.

I am always wishing for one more sprocket, but I suspect at the opposite side from you.
Lucky says:

Oct 25 2014 at 11:17 am

All I have to do is remember my buddies who are dead, and those who are disabled and cant ride, no matter what, and an "I suck" ride suddenly transforms into the best ride I've ever had.
Gianni says:

Oct 25 2014 at 12:04 pm

@Dave

I usually have an Ah-Ha ride or two in the spring, typically related to dropping heavy fluttering winter kit as the weather warms. One year's felt especially good until it became clear that the way out had been wind-aided.

How many times have I been fooled by the tailwind? Enough to always suspect it if I'm going well.

And layers of kit make you slow, period. Is it bad aerodynamics or constriction of movement? Discuss.
Gianni says:

Oct 25 2014 at 12:08 pm

@ChrisO

This is one of the advantages of coming to serious cycling later in life.

While I've always been a commuting or recreational cyclist I really only started proper road cycling in my late 30s,racing in my 40s and dedicated training in the last couple of years. Living on my own 80% of the time has helped.

Consequently I find myself on a happy curve of continuing improvement, so far. I know at some point the curves will cross or I will lose form and suffer. Perhaps that will be version of the Ah-Ha ride.

You need to collide with a camel or two, break something, get too heavy, develop a good drinking habit, then you might be in line for a proper ah-ha ride.
Gianni says:

Oct 25 2014 at 12:16 pm

@the-farmer

I am certainly not at the aha stage at the moment. Due to the nature of my job I have to have almost 3 months off the bike during late summer/early AUTUMN, therefore winter is my time for riding as much possible! Ready for the spring, maybe by next march I might be at the aha stage, but for now mostly at the ffs I suck.

That is a Hardman schedule, peaking in early spring, long rides in the shiet winter weather. It sounds like you would be ready for the Keepers Tour.
Rob says:

Oct 25 2014 at 1:25 pm

Ha ha I had an ah-ha ride recently when everything was just wrong and my bike was making this horrendous squeaky noise. Nearly threw it over a hedge. But then I reminded myself of rule 5 and got on with it. Cycled London to Paris a couple of weeks later :-)