Cycling….

Cycling blogs seem to be everywhere (on the internet…. Well within the blogosphere) they are so varied, interesting and well written and all seem to be equally passionate about this hobby called cycling….

Yes I used the word “hobby” this word when related to my cycling life makes me want to sit up and break something screaming “It’s not a Hobby”! But if cycling is not a hobby what is it. I gave this some deep thought, a second or two later I decided that cycling is a disease!

Hobbies are making model airplanes, collecting stamps building ships in bottles etc.

Cycling becomes all consuming and breaks you down and changes you.

It starts with a ‘sniffle’ I think I’ll cycle to work occasionally save some money on fuel and get a bit fitter maybe loose a but of weight.

So you dig out an old bike and jump on pedalling happily to work, wearing loads of layers because it’s cold outside thinking you will be fine and arrive a hot sweaty, sore ass’ed mess. But happy that you have done it.

Here is when the headaches and runny nose kick in……You see that cycling is clever it has seen this before once you’ve done a few rides 1-2 weeks maybe just past the point where you ass has got used to the saddle and stopped hurting all the time you will want to go faster!

This is where is you start to get real flu like….. Faster requires you to be fitter, to be fitter you need to ride more. You start to really enjoy being in the saddle. You will find money leaking out of your pockets and you wardrobe of what you wear reducing and becoming more cyclist like, shorts will appear regardless of the weather, breathable wicking materials become preferred. It’s a quiet transition but its happening.

By now you are in serious state and probably should get to hospital because cycling has consumed you, it’s taken over. The reason you get up an hour earlier is not to get to the office but to have a an extra hour on the bike, You eat less and eat healthier not to loose weight so you look good, you do it because it’s less weight to carry on the bike, you’ll be faster.

Do you see the flip of the coin there? It starts as I’ll cycle to get fitter and healthier now it has become I’ll get healthier and fitter to improve my cycling! I’m not doing 20+mile rides in order to get slim (well not entirely) I’m doing it to improve my pedalling action to get the climbing technique and muscles working at peak condition.

Nope cycling is not a hobby it is a disease and it is terminal…. For me anyway.