The Joy of Bikes

3770km to date...(inc 330km offroad).



One of the greatest joys about being a cyclist is not actually riding, but thinking about riding, dreaming about that next new bike, congering up, linking routes, honking up alpine climbs, and replaying rides and races with great friends in your head, dabating the pros and cons of 172.5 v's 175mm cranks, 42cm or 44cm road bars, flat or riser mountain bike bars and how much of a rise, deciding whether half a kilo of beautiful brooks leather on that new lightweight frame is a good idea, or whether two pairs of shorts will continue to do, short or long mudgaurds, goretex, e-vent or paramo, where the next proper tour is gonna be and how the hell do I take 3 kids on a bike holiday anyway, etc, ad-infinitum? "What are you thinking?" Tanya will often ask. After 14 years together, she knows exactly what I'm thinking, this question is just a reflex, from the insecure early years, times when she imagined I might have been thinking about other girls I suppose. It's our 12th Anniversary today and therefore very bad timing, but I have to admit to having had several love affairs [with bikes of course], the latest being with my new Sabbath Silk Route. Yes the Thorn and Rohloff sadly is going, albeit to a great home and an equally obsessed bikie (Terry). Anyway, the Silk Route is a lovely frame and should build up to be much more of an enjoyable ride on the road (although one which will demand more time and care), with the ability in theory to eat up more miles with less effort. If the grass turns out to be not so green on this side of the fence afterall, not to worry, the best combinations of titanium and the amazing Rohloff hub are already brewing...

Goals should be S.M.A.R.T right...?

Specific, measureable, achievable, realistic, timely. Meatloaf suggested that 2 out of 3 aint bad, so I guess 4 out of 5 aint bad.... Well, it may have been good enough for him, but I've been putting off updating this blog recently, because the prospect of not achieving my original target of 12,000km is rather stressful. Riding 250km every week would indeed be an achievable goal, but the reality is that motivation has been low and family life has taken priority recently. Whether 12,000km is realistic now seems painfully debatable.

Hold onto your hat Kev and weep at my excuses. I’ve always been an early bird and one of the first to arrive at work in the morning; since Dad passed away (during which period I ‘lost’ 2-weeks of cycling...how inconsiderate), the heart-warming morning cuddles with the Wife and Kids have proven too much to sacrifice for the purposes of increased corporate revenue and profitability - life has fundamentally changed. Even riding a bike, which feels as natural to me as walking, has to some extent lost its appeal.

Tanya is 36 weeks pregnant – what with Olivia (5) and Harris (2) she needs me around. We had 2 amazing weeks holiday in July, during which time I rode all of 74km (all be them 74 fun km on my new mountain bike).

Including offroad km's to date, cumulative distance (2932.7 + (278.8 offroad)) = 3211.5km.

This year has turned out not been a good one to set ambitious goals of any sort (my Professional goals are faring no better). I will plod along with what I’m doing and try to get as many km’s under me as possible; instead of resenting the first love of my life, simply by setting myself an arbitrary, unrealistic goal, I need to start enjoying it again - who knows, maybe things will pick up and Meatloaf will be silenced....