trustysteed
Guest
walker said:
yeah, but does she?!
What do you enjoy most about Cycling..
- Thread starter yenrod
- Start date
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yeah, but does she?!
laurence
Veteran
- Location
- in the aeroplane over the sea
The noise disturbed him. It wasn’t too loud, but it was there. The tyres generated a light buzzing, but this was more of a wheeze mixed with a rattle. He stopped pedalling, it was still there, not the gears then. He held his breath. Quiet. That was ok, so long as it wasn’t the bike making the sound.
It was his new pride and joy, custom made in Italy and costing at least two months wages. “Why didn’t you buy a car?” Was his friends common cry. He cared not for their opinions, out here he was in his element, speeding down country lanes under his own steam, man and machine together with no engine noise, just the occasional chain ching as the gears snicked to a different ration and the thrum of rubber on rough tarmac.
The city was behind him now, the air cleaner, houses few and far between, animals outnumbered humans, which was just fine by him. The road roller-coastered through the trees and he adjusted his riding accordingly, standing for ascents, grinding on the pedals to propel him skyward and then he’d crouch low as he hurtled down the other side, gravity pulling him as hard as possible. Soon the final hill approached, a long grind that his tired lungs were dreading. Illness had kept him from this dream machine for months and it was only the warm day that had prompted a long distance journey, his body was aching already and the worst was to come.
He was soon in the lowest gear and straining hard. Breathing fast, head down to avoid the view of what lay ahead he grovelled up. The top held coffee and cake and a stunning view, they beckoned him up and he could only savour them if he made it.
The grass was soft as he collapsed onto it, the shiny cycle next to him, his leg lightly resting on it as if he couldn’t bear to be parted and the refreshments at his side, coffee vapour rising above the countryside. All around people gazed, pointing to distant landmarks and marvelling at the toy villages nestling amid the trees. An old couple shuffled by, the man uninterested in the scenery though, the prone bike grabbing his attention, the way the light glinted from the chromed gears and the sun spangled in the paint, it exuded class and called to him. He stopped and turned, spellbound, looking it over several times, absorbing every detail, weld and fixture. With his partner pleading and tugging him by one hand he slowly raised his head and looked straight at the tired rider and smiled. The elderly eyes glowed alive and in them the cyclist saw a young soul, speeding through country lanes under his own steam, the city and his cares far behind him, hair blown in the slipstream and with only the thrum of rubber on rough tarmac in his ears.
The proud rider smiled back. Totally worth it, he thought.
It was his new pride and joy, custom made in Italy and costing at least two months wages. “Why didn’t you buy a car?” Was his friends common cry. He cared not for their opinions, out here he was in his element, speeding down country lanes under his own steam, man and machine together with no engine noise, just the occasional chain ching as the gears snicked to a different ration and the thrum of rubber on rough tarmac.
The city was behind him now, the air cleaner, houses few and far between, animals outnumbered humans, which was just fine by him. The road roller-coastered through the trees and he adjusted his riding accordingly, standing for ascents, grinding on the pedals to propel him skyward and then he’d crouch low as he hurtled down the other side, gravity pulling him as hard as possible. Soon the final hill approached, a long grind that his tired lungs were dreading. Illness had kept him from this dream machine for months and it was only the warm day that had prompted a long distance journey, his body was aching already and the worst was to come.
He was soon in the lowest gear and straining hard. Breathing fast, head down to avoid the view of what lay ahead he grovelled up. The top held coffee and cake and a stunning view, they beckoned him up and he could only savour them if he made it.
The grass was soft as he collapsed onto it, the shiny cycle next to him, his leg lightly resting on it as if he couldn’t bear to be parted and the refreshments at his side, coffee vapour rising above the countryside. All around people gazed, pointing to distant landmarks and marvelling at the toy villages nestling amid the trees. An old couple shuffled by, the man uninterested in the scenery though, the prone bike grabbing his attention, the way the light glinted from the chromed gears and the sun spangled in the paint, it exuded class and called to him. He stopped and turned, spellbound, looking it over several times, absorbing every detail, weld and fixture. With his partner pleading and tugging him by one hand he slowly raised his head and looked straight at the tired rider and smiled. The elderly eyes glowed alive and in them the cyclist saw a young soul, speeding through country lanes under his own steam, the city and his cares far behind him, hair blown in the slipstream and with only the thrum of rubber on rough tarmac in his ears.
The proud rider smiled back. Totally worth it, he thought.
Kirstie
Über Member
The ever changing scenery and the fact that it's the perfect and most healthy form of escape I know of!
Bigtallfatbloke
New Member
nobody tells me I'm useless at it
Fnaar
Smutmaster General
- Location
- Thumberland
Heh heh ... I've done that too ... last summer ... a 17-mile commute home turned into a 42-mile thriller!ChrisKH said:
Kirstie
Über Member
Fnaar said:Heh heh ... I've done that too ... last summer ... a 17-mile commute home turned into a 42-mile thriller!
And me! I didn't want to stop by going home so I just carried on!
Over The Hill
Guru
- Location
- Ridden off into the sunset
Trying not to die from being a lazy git is a big plus.
My main incentive to actually get on and do something is that is is good for me while I am mostly bad for me.
However I try to remember that I am always pleased that I went for the ride when I get back from it.
Sometimes (not now as I have been hiding from the bike for a couple of months) I get my fitness up to a point that I am a bit happy with myself and can kid myself that I have still got it!
As you get older you have to be careful as doors close on you when there used to be more opening for you when you were young so it is great to be able to do something that you have never done before. L2B last year and doing 100 miler this year. Maybe LeJog after that! It is a great feeling to achieve this and boost me no end.
While I am bringing the whole thread down in my pool of gloom, if I did write those stupid round robin cards with all the family's news in it which you get with Cristmas cards, I would hate to sit down and not have much to put in it.
My main incentive to actually get on and do something is that is is good for me while I am mostly bad for me.
However I try to remember that I am always pleased that I went for the ride when I get back from it.
Sometimes (not now as I have been hiding from the bike for a couple of months) I get my fitness up to a point that I am a bit happy with myself and can kid myself that I have still got it!
As you get older you have to be careful as doors close on you when there used to be more opening for you when you were young so it is great to be able to do something that you have never done before. L2B last year and doing 100 miler this year. Maybe LeJog after that! It is a great feeling to achieve this and boost me no end.
While I am bringing the whole thread down in my pool of gloom, if I did write those stupid round robin cards with all the family's news in it which you get with Cristmas cards, I would hate to sit down and not have much to put in it.
Keith Oates
Janner
- Location
- Penarth, Wales
Knowing that what you are doing or have just done is not only enjoyable but it's good for your health and it's the best way of keeping fit that I know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
Kirstie said:
I've done similar got bored with my 3.5 mile commute so turned it into 34 miler stopping at my parents for a free tea.Fnaar said:Heh heh ... I've done that too ... last summer ... a 17-mile commute home turned into a 42-mile thriller!
summerdays
Cycling in the sun
- Location
- Bristol
Easiest answer is it normally puts a smile on my face.
I've tried running - I hated that, enjoyed walking, but there is just something about cycling - even today when I've been totally soaked and buffeted by the wind, cut up by drivers who just don't know what they are missing.
Now if only I could have the roads all to my self (and fellow cyclists), with the car drivers sitting in an enormous queue having to watch me enjoy myself as I sailed past and that someone ironed Bristol a little flatter it would be heaven.
I've tried running - I hated that, enjoyed walking, but there is just something about cycling - even today when I've been totally soaked and buffeted by the wind, cut up by drivers who just don't know what they are missing.
Now if only I could have the roads all to my self (and fellow cyclists), with the car drivers sitting in an enormous queue having to watch me enjoy myself as I sailed past and that someone ironed Bristol a little flatter it would be heaven.
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
Dayvo said:The health/fitness aspect
The fun
and THE FREEDOM
I think I enjoy these things most too and I like how I see things/ go to places that I probably wouldn't in a car.
mr_hippo
Living Legend & Old Fart
What do you enjoy most about Cycling.. ? I don't like it - it's more for the racing cyclist, too expensive, flimsy covers, poor quality paper for the price and many other things.
What do you enjoy most about cycling.. ? Now that's a completely different question!
What do you enjoy most about cycling.. ? Now that's a completely different question!
