Someone recently asked me why I cycle so much.
This brings those of you who read my Blog to the conclusion that I own a bicycle. Yes I do, in fact without being too boastful, I own three mountain bikes.
So, why does one cycle? Well it's most certainly not because I am on the lower end of the national average of earnings and need it to commute. In fact, the value of my bikes equals to the same value as decent compact family car.
The reason I originally bought a bike actually differs to the reason I currently ride one. To be bluntly honest I've always liked mountain bikes. They just look cool with almost every component being branded with manufacturers' names screened upon them: Shimano on the derailers, Sunrims on the rims, Panaracer on the tires, Truative on the cranks, WTB on the seatpost and handlebars and the awesome frame geometry painted all bright with 7005 Butted Alloy screened on the tubes. Lastly, the suspension, hydraulic disc brakes and Allen capped bolts all add to the mean, lean riding machine aura that these pedal powered steeds have
I bought my first bike in early 2007. It was pre-owned, but brand spanking new.
Someone I knew pointed me towards it as a friend of his had bought it and just didn't get on with cycling. I recall seeing the ad for the bike placed on an RC Forum, with a link to the manufacturer's site. I read through the specifications and was duly impressed. It had all the right stuff; Shiny, lightweight, branded and expensive when purchased new, with a £1000 price tag, which was not too shabby for a decent spec hardtail mountain bike.
I went and inspected it and yes it was as good as brand new. The soon to be previous owner even threw in a under saddle tool bag, multitool and spare tubes. I bought it for £450. A 55% depreciation in value over a few months.. fuck me, that's got to hurt, a lot.
When spring arrived I made a point of riding the bike and found myself a little road route of +-6 odd miles, or just on 10 kilometers. I rode this route every day after work and was still discovering the secrets of cycling in the mechanical sense. I was up and down the gears all the time, lower gears up the hills and higher gears when going down. This was a discovery of note for me and a humongous improvement on the old 10 speed racing bike I got around with as a kid. The hydraulic disc brakes were impressive too, but the off road tires whined in abundance on the tarmac.
I was offered a Garmin eTrex Legend GPS from a work colleague at a bargain price. I bought it and then got a handlebar mount. All of a sudden I could log my rides.
My riding routes had also varied with me finding about 2KM of dirt in the Three Brookes Nature Reserve. I was also keeping track of my times on a spreadsheet.
Sadly most of my rides were urban and this meant I had to compete with traffic and also inhale the obnoxious fumes that cars emit.
The riding times were improving and I yearned for something better than an urban ride with touch of dirt riding. I then discovered the Bristol to Bath Cycleway along what used to be the old Chiltern railway line.
Now this is 11-13 miles of tarred walkway (22-26 with the return trip) that cyclists play 2nd fiddle to pedestrians on. It's a great ride, lots of tree canopies, fresh air, sunshine, pretty girls, miserable old farts and long hills. I did this ride a few times solo and loved it. There are artworks and sculptures placed along this route as well as a steam train station, pubs and a cafe. Let me not forget to mention the graffiti! The ride starts in Bristol city and ends in Bath along the canal. It took me about an hour plus to weave through the walkers, pass slower riders and feral human offspring running wild along this cycleway
I was always faster on my way down to Bath, but the route back is all uphill. In fact I pushed my bike up the hills the first few times as I was so exhausted.
Later I hooked up with my mate Ray who lives close to the Cycleway. We did the ride a few times together and he often left me standing as he was a regular gym attendee and in good physical shape. But my fitness and times were improving and those hills that used to force me to dismount and push were now beaten fair and square. Ray didn't always ride with me as he's quite unreliable when it comes to meeting commitments in regards to arranged rides.
In early 2008 I rode the path solo from my house and picked up a few punctures which I tried to repair. I ended up riding from Bath to my house with a slow puncture as my bowl of rice piece of shit Chinese manufactured repair kit failed epically. I had to reinflate the rear tire every two miles and it was raining. What should have taken me just on an hour ended up being a 3 hour ride! That was the worst ride to date. An absolute fucking nightmare.
I was also looking for new places to ride as when on a bike, you see so much more. The bug was starting to bite me. I didn't realise this at the time, but looking back those trying and somewhat tiring rides had sewn the seeds. Another thing I had invested in was a Polar heart rate monitor as I wanted to measure my progress even further.
Ray and I had signed up for the Bristol Bike Fest in June, this was a 23 mile event. Not a race, just a good day out on the bikes with thousands of other cyclists.
In April 2008 whilst on a ride with another friend, I flipped my bike and landed awkwardly on my right leg.
I broke the leg in 6 places and was rewarded with 11 screws and a plate in my lower leg. As to whether I would ride again or not was the tale of two Doctors. I was being treated at Frenchay Hospital's Fracture Clinic and there were two consulting Doctors who alternated.
One Doctor said not an issue at all and I'll be up and riding sooner than I think. The other Doctor was a pessimist and told me that at my age I need to seriously reconsider what sporting activities I partake in as my leg would never be the same. I preferred the positive Doc's approach. As for the other Doctor, well he can go fuck himself I thought. I was going to get better. The lightweight, bright pink cast came off after two months and was replaced with a ROM Brace that made me look like Robocop under construction for about a month.
Life is all about meeting people, sometimes losing contact with them then bumping into them unexpectedly, Pete G an old friend who I worked with in S.A. had resettled in England with his wife and daughter. We made contact via Facebook and had spoken via mail and telephone.
On the 27th July 2008, 91 days after breaking my leg, Pete called me and said he needed a good bike ride.
I told Pete I was well up for a scoot down the Bristol-Bath Cycleway. Pete drove up to mine with his "Iron Giant" strapped to the boot of his car. I had just taken my Kona Kula around my block for its first ride in 3 months. In fact the first ride since breaking (and healing) my leg.
We rode the Cycleway together and it turns out Pete G had things on his mind and we discussed these and life in general as we cranked our way along the cycleway. It was a good day for us both, Pete getting issues of his chest, me testing the leg and most importantly, two good friends reunited after a decade with a little more in common now due to the cycling.
We got to Bath and back and my leg held up fine for the 23 odd miles, although as expected, the ankle area did swell quite a bit.
Pete and I rode a lot in the later part of 2008. He's adventurous and loves finding new places to ride. He's led me to some amazing places where mountain bikes just belong. Every ride is a photo opportunity too as there's so much to see in England.
In mid September 2008 I bought myself a limited production full suspension Felt Compulsion 2 SE "Mint Sauce" edition XC bike as a reward for healing up so quick and keeping a positive attitude, plus I knew it wouldn't be wasted. I decided to retain the Kona hardtail bike I had too as it is a great ride and I am also very, very fond of it.
I also "invested" in a Land Rover Discovery Series II 4.0 V8 and a pair of Thule 591 roof bike carriers solely to lug bikes and the relevant biking kit around. It's a top of the range specification too, so it also offers a lot of comfort and luxury which is a godsend after a hard day's riding.
The first ride on the XC bike was with Pete at Reading Copse and it was a nightmare for me. The bike was tall, heavier than the Kona and I was convinced it was trying to fucking kill me too.
It was also fast down the hills, offered grip second to none and brakes so powerful that I had to treat them with a new found respect, however I just didn't have the confidence to ride it properly. I was justifiably paranoid about my leg too with visions of me destroying all the Doctors' hard work in one swift fall. Pete rode his Kona Caldera and left me standing in an area ill suited to his bike and much more suited to mine. My confidence just wasn't there.
The second ride on it was at Swinley Forest in Bracknell, Berkshire where Pete once again left me standing on his Caldera. I recall how I fell off a collapsed wooden bridge. The fall was about two foot and Pete looked quite concerned asking my how my leg was. The leg was fine, the ego was dire need of repair though.
Later in the year, Pete also bought himself a full suspension trial bike, a lovely Giant Trance. This made me keeping up with him even harder work. I also bought another mountain bike, my 3rd. It was a bargain from the local on-line classifieds. This was purchased with the intention of turning it into a commuter and I am pleased to say I have done this successfully.
Pete and I also did some riding at the New Forest which was great stamina training due to the long sweeping hills within the forest. We rode from Lyndhurst to Brockenhurst via the forest. The great thing about the New Forest is the serenity of the area. Also the wild ponies are something we are just not used to, as in Africa without doubt, these ponies would most certainly be eaten by the starving locals. I did some of the New Forest rides on the Felt Compulsion 2 SE XC bike which isn't best suited to this environment as it's hardtail country but the hard work helps make one fitter.
Winter kicked in and riding sadly ground to an abrupt halt due to the poor weather. I joined the local gym to keep myself in trim but as my 6 week holiday in the sun inched ever closer, my motivation to attend gym waned and my weight gained..
2009 arrived and I came back from vacation weighing 108Kgs (230LBS for those Imperialists) and decided to shed weight as a matter of priority. I returned to the local gym and set my plans in motion. I would make myself fit to ride and for no other reason. I was working on the cross trainer to burn fat and undertaking circuit training to rebuild my upper body strength. I recall watching the RedBull Rampage DVD set and one of the Downhill riders stated the best armour is muscle.
The waistline was declining but the weight wasn't coming down as anticipated. I had also changed my diet and was (and still am) calorie counting. So, what was I doing wrong? I had no idea until I put on a casual shirt and noticed how it was tighter on my biceps. Fuck me, I realised I am rebuilding muscle which weighs more than the fat I burn.
Pete and I rode in Swinley Forest in early March 2009. I was riding better than I ever had before. We went for a rip down an area appropriately named "The Labyrinth" by the locals. This is a fast downhill rutted track with switchbacks and berms galore. This is adrenaline riding at it's best and what the Felt XC bike was made for, however one mistake and you will be hurt as the trail is lined with trees galore with only inches to spare on either side.
In 2008 The Labyrinth scared the living fuck out of me and I tackled the descent under constant braking and was 3 minutes slower than Pete on this route.
In March 2009 we did it a few times, each time I improved and was only 30 odd seconds behind Pete who was riding his Giant Trance Trial bike. I also clambered up hills and flew down hills with a new found confidence brought on by the combination of healing, weight loss, muscle gain and diet.
I've now decided to go exploring by myself and have recently discovered the Forest of Dean which is between 30 minutes and an hour from my house, 3o minutes if you want to line the French's pockets with £5.4o for using the old Severn toll bridge, or an hour to go around the long way. I've done both and decided the £5.40 is a lot more economical than the fuel my V8 powered Land Rover consumes going the long way round. Yes, paying the French any amount of money leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, but I digress.
The first outing at the Forest of Dean was with my buddy Ray, who had loaned my Kona while I decided to do this on the Felt XC bike.
We did 9.4 miles or 15KMS. This entailed a 6 odd mile climb that had me waiting for Ray quite a few times. The reward was just under 4 miles of downhill with me reaching speeds in excess of 30MPH or 49KMH! Fuck me I am a dumb ass, I logged those speeds on my Garmin GPS, so they're fairly accurate but I wasn't wearing any pads or a helmet.
The tables have certainly turned as far as fitness levels go, I have improved, sadly Ray's been a little slack and slowed down substantially.
I last went alone and covered 22.7 miles or 36KMS and loved it. In fact I cycled over 45.5 miles or 73 odd Kilometers that weekend
At the time of writing this Blog entry, I weigh 97 Kilograms, have a rested heart rate of 65-68BPM and feel on top of the world physically and mentally. Healthy body certainly does equal a healthy mind.
I ride my commuter mountain bike to gym, to the shops or wherever and whenever I can and am committed to cycling opposed to driving. The fun is not just in owning a bike, but actually using it.
So, why do I ride? Is the great camaraderie between mountain bikers? Perhaps it's the lure of the great outdoors and fresh air? Maybe it's just the machinery itself, great bikes bristling with the technology of lightweight, space program type alloys and carbon fibre, plus let's not forget the kit, helmets, gloves, shoes and the brightly coloured attire.
To be honest I don't know why I ride so much, one thing I can say is that when I ride it's like Novocaine for the soul. I think it could be that the mind needs to take a break and let the body do the harder work in order to meet the balance one often seeks subconsciously
Conclusion:
My name is Raymond and I love riding bikes, but strangely I still don't really know why....
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