Man to Child

Unlike most things in my life cycling has been with me since I was a small child. A Raleigh Tommahawk was the first bike I can remember having as a child, although I knew it wasn't the bike I learnt to ride on. I learnt to ride late in life managing to be free from stabalizers by around the age of seven. The longest period I had off the bike was from my late teens to early tweenties. Loads of avenues were a distraction to the dorment passion that lay beneath. Unleashed again around my 21st year on the planet it has, except for broken bones, been an uninterupted trip with bicycles.

I have ridden all types of bikes and love all areas of the two wheeled genre. I will happily watch a DH race as I will six hours in the mountain or the Classics. But it is with Road bikes that I have found my true soulmate. Because of my varied experience with bikes I sit outside the classic club cyclist, although I have been a member of a couple of cycle clubs in my time.

Cycling works both in those periods when you feel like an outsider and also when you need a club or team you can find a bunch of people to be with. Unlike mountain biking which for me has always been an experience made richer by the attendence of friends. Road biking seems to have the ability to work on multiple levels.

I recently had my parents to stay and I showed them my site. The blank expression took me straight back to my childhood. I think they never understood the freedom that a bike gave me then and how as an adult it continues to put a roof over my head and feed and clothe my family . I am thankful that the passion and excitement of the seven year old boy still resides in the man. My greatest joy this year so far has been watching my own children begin that journey for themselves.

I am looking forward to getting out on my bike this weekend, I know if you are reading this that you will need little encouragement to do the same this weekend.