The chiselled guns of a Cyclist
Being away from the bike is agony. Even for the day, while I’m at work, my mind swims about, thinking about my next ride. I worry that I won’t be home early enough to get the ride in that I’d planned – or worse yet – ride at all. I agonize over my decision not to ride in the morning, or to work, hoping one missed day doesn’t turn into two doesn’t turn into a week.
I wonder at which bike I’ll choose; I can visualize them hanging there, in the workshop, quietly waiting to be set free from their prison – a bike is only free when it’s being ridden. I imagine they discuss among themselves which is entitled to be ridden next; they might even place wagers on which will be the lucky one. I’m not sure with what bicycles might place wagers, perhaps a bit of grease for a creaking quick-release that I haven’t noticed yet.
All day, I evaluate how my body feels. Sitting folded up at a desk is a horrible place to judge one’s weight; I’ll lean against the desk’s edge and wonder if there was less of me touching it yesterday. I’ll feel the muscles in my thighs as I cross my legs in a conference room, and judge whether they feel stronger than the day before. Sometimes I’ll feel for the fibers in my muscles with my fingertips and then realize that the other people in the room with me probably find it odd that I’m rubbing my legs absentmindedly. To be fair, I find it odd that they don’t know what it feels like to be in shape.
It is a mystery whether I’ll be strong on the bike today or not. At the office, there is no way to know how I will feel; I won’t really know until I put in a real effort, which usually happens on the first climb of the day. Strength is a strange thing; the other day I felt blocked during my warmup but hit the top corner of the first climb so fast I almost lost my front wheel. Almost losing your front wheel in a corner on a climb is a special feeling.
Tim Krabbé wrote, “Non-riders. The emptiness of those lives shocks me.” Indeed; we are Cyclists, the rest of the world merely rides a bike.
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
@KogaLover
Heck with downhill part... won't help the leg muscles! Just joking of course, going down is half the reason for going up in the first place. But I'd be last person to explain how to go down a hill fast. Cheers
@wiscot
I was going on a. Sky and b. the Irish bands on the sleeve of the jersey. Can't think of any other Irish Sky riders.
@ChrisO
Yes, World Masters Champs. Looking forward to it immensely!.
I probably should have said "short" rather than "easy" turbo sessions - they were not recovery rides, but still not what I would usually do. There is also the fact that taking 3 days away (fly out Saturday, race Sunday, return Monday) is a lot of time, and whatever rule #11 says, we all know that the family/bike balance will have to be re-addressed in the near future!
@wilburrox
When I first picked up cycling again, I tried to stay away from going uphill, which is rather a challenge when living in Switzerland. Meanwhile I am actually enjoying the uphill pain-in-the-legs&lungs better than the downhill pain-in-the-neck. Hence fully agree with Rule #93... Contrary to Rule #55 however, I enjoy going downhill because it means I will need to go uphill again.
@RobSandy
I feel your pain brah! I come in through the back door to the office now. If it's not smirks, it's shaking heads.
@RobSandy
I'm going to say that photo is from this year's Vuelta and as such it's definitely Roche.
I've out-wiscotted wiscot. And I got there before Oli. Do I get a badge?
@wiscot
That's probably my favourite photo of him riding.
He's certainly addicted, he did a club run with the social group (the third group on the road who prefer not to be called the C group) recently. 82k in the rain at about 25 kph. He loved it. We're gong again this weekend but has been told that he can't come out every weekend as I want to ride with the faster groups as well.
He wants to do a 120 km sportive at the end of November.
@wilburrox
Without posting Don Logan, no.
He's got a road bike and a mountain bike. That is plenty and he's been told he can learn his craft riding regular drop bars. Until he's honed his bike handling, he's riding regular drip bars. Old school testing, no aerobars.
Following on behind was good but I can only take him to the TTs if I can get away from work early which generally means I've only got time to pick him up and get down to the start. If I've got time to pick my bike up and change then I'm racing too.
I tend to get stressed out, and riding reduces that stress.
When I don't ride, my stress isn't reduced. Further, not riding is, itself, a source of stress.
The lesson? It's as simple as ABC.
@RobSandy
Stage Six from the Rouleur gallery.
Another give away would be the beer sponsor.
@chris
My head is hung low in shame that I didn't see the Irish stripes on the sleeve. I my defense, the magnificent guns are just so compelling to look at!