Hi again.
Not so long back i was basically a non cyclist. The car was used for virtually every trip (shame on me)
The thought of cycling more than 10 miles in my opinion was reserved for the fitness fanatics.
Time has passed though and I've ditched the car for two wheels of the bike. The cycling bug has really taken over my life now and only ever use the car when absolutely necessary.
After many rides over the years and aspiring to cyclists far better than me, I've pushed myself hard to break personal goals. When I first started i can remember setting my goals on one day cracking a 50 mile ride At the time it almost felt like an impossible goal to achieve. Will my knees give out, to whether my backside would take the uncomfortable saddle over such a long distance.
It just seemed like a "pipe dream" at the time, but seeing others doing it encouraged me to press on.
With perseverance the miles slowly increased over the months and felt really good about myself for being able to ride 20 miles a day. It was hard going as each mile stone was reached. My body would be aching like mad the next day after pushing that little further, but it felt so good mentally in hitting these new targets. As 20 miles turned into 30 rides the sorter rides became a breeze and could put down the hammer in getting soon decent average speeds. I can remember quite vividly the first time i did the metric 100. It was really hard going and was exhausted after it. I can remember watching the trip computer obsessively as i reached it.
After hitting this goal though i though it would be a one off affair.
It couldn't of been any further from the truth though as I just wanted to do it again and again.
After conquering this mile stone many times, cycling further seemed to become easier. I've managed to cycle just over 100 miles in a day this year with out struggling over duly.
With cycling being such a main focus of my life now, I've found I've had very little time left to do things i once did. Spending time in the garden or socialising with friends seems to have got less and less as all my time is spent cycling. Now its winter the miles have naturally taken a hit again and feel at a loose end some day's when the weather is awful.
My friends though seem to have differing opinions of what i do. Some think ive completely lost the plot and suffering from a midlife crisis whilst others think im some sort of super human lol.
Either way im really happy I've taken up cycling whatever they think. I had very low self esteem when i first started those first tentative miles, and as its progressed its given me a little sense of achievement in my otherwise shambolic existence.
What do your non cycling friends think about you and your cycling. Do they think you're some sort of eco warrior or fitness fanatic.
After cycling for such a longish time now its hard to remember how i would perceive a cyclist if i wasn't one myself
Not so long back i was basically a non cyclist. The car was used for virtually every trip (shame on me)
The thought of cycling more than 10 miles in my opinion was reserved for the fitness fanatics.
Time has passed though and I've ditched the car for two wheels of the bike. The cycling bug has really taken over my life now and only ever use the car when absolutely necessary.
After many rides over the years and aspiring to cyclists far better than me, I've pushed myself hard to break personal goals. When I first started i can remember setting my goals on one day cracking a 50 mile ride At the time it almost felt like an impossible goal to achieve. Will my knees give out, to whether my backside would take the uncomfortable saddle over such a long distance.
It just seemed like a "pipe dream" at the time, but seeing others doing it encouraged me to press on.
With perseverance the miles slowly increased over the months and felt really good about myself for being able to ride 20 miles a day. It was hard going as each mile stone was reached. My body would be aching like mad the next day after pushing that little further, but it felt so good mentally in hitting these new targets. As 20 miles turned into 30 rides the sorter rides became a breeze and could put down the hammer in getting soon decent average speeds. I can remember quite vividly the first time i did the metric 100. It was really hard going and was exhausted after it. I can remember watching the trip computer obsessively as i reached it.
After hitting this goal though i though it would be a one off affair.
It couldn't of been any further from the truth though as I just wanted to do it again and again.
After conquering this mile stone many times, cycling further seemed to become easier. I've managed to cycle just over 100 miles in a day this year with out struggling over duly.
With cycling being such a main focus of my life now, I've found I've had very little time left to do things i once did. Spending time in the garden or socialising with friends seems to have got less and less as all my time is spent cycling. Now its winter the miles have naturally taken a hit again and feel at a loose end some day's when the weather is awful.
My friends though seem to have differing opinions of what i do. Some think ive completely lost the plot and suffering from a midlife crisis whilst others think im some sort of super human lol.
Either way im really happy I've taken up cycling whatever they think. I had very low self esteem when i first started those first tentative miles, and as its progressed its given me a little sense of achievement in my otherwise shambolic existence.
What do your non cycling friends think about you and your cycling. Do they think you're some sort of eco warrior or fitness fanatic.
After cycling for such a longish time now its hard to remember how i would perceive a cyclist if i wasn't one myself