Why I Ride

With all the media hype at the moment and following some pretty horrific accidents involving cyclists and cars over the past couple of weeks, it has certainly sent a few shivers down my spine. 

We all know how dangerous cycling can be but it really hasn’t been something that I have thought too deeply about before heading out for my daily ride.

The alarm went off on Thursday morning and seeing as though I had been feeling a little tired, I decided to hit the cancel button and roll over for some more zzzz’s.

When I got up I felt guilty (as is often the case after missing a ride), so I decided to get out and do my session during the day.  Seeing as though I normally set off at 4:30am and traffic isn’t really an issue at that time of day (it’s really only cabbies and people walking home from the clubs that are up at that hour), the thought of riding later in the day with traffic made me feel a little concerned.  Geez.  It’s probably not the best time of day to be riding.  I mean the roads are going to be busy and I might get run over.  What is going on?  Thoughts like that have never even entered my head in the past.

Maybe it’s just some driver’s attitudes towards cyclists or probably just the freshness of the few incidents that have happened of late but I guess we can’t cover ourselves with cotton wool and I certainly love to ride.  

That feeling you get after a hard morning session is like nothing else.  It makes me feel great for the rest of the day and obviously can’t be doing my health any harm.

That feeling you get when flex your calves after you pass a bunch in front of you….the pain you see on your mates faces when you accelerate up the hills.  It’s what gets me out of bed in the morning and brings a smile to my face

Pacelines, echelons, FTP sessions, the pain of racing up Mt Nebo with mates……the recovery rides….the time spent talking crap at cafes….This is why I why I love to ride.