Nooj
Junior Member
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2008
- Messages
- 251
- Reaction score
- 3
- Points
- 0
- Location
- Newbury, Berkshire, UK
Well, what with moving house last November and trying to get used to working shifts I've been leaving the bike at home and resorting to the car for commuting over winter. Work is only 20 minutes away, so stuggling with winter riding kit four times a day doubles the commuting time and obviously four wheels are inherently safer than two when the roads are covered with frozen cr@p at 05:30 in the morning and vision is down to 20 metres due to freezing fog.
I have ventured out a few times, just to see if I can still remember how to ride, and as I'm still alive I guess I still can. But it's amazing how my riding has gone off since I've been leaving the bike at home! It's no longer second nature to be at the right speed in the right place to take any corner that's approaching, now I have to think about it and still get it wrong. And I've lost that intimate contact with the bike I used to have, I ride around thinking "I'm sure it didn't used to make that sound" or "the gear change just doesn't feel right any more", but I can't remember what it did or didn't do last year.
I've got a big two day ride out this weekend, something I go on every year, but this is the first year I don't feel prepared for it. Usually I'm happy to mix it with the fast boys, this year I reckon I'll be at the back edging round the corners like a learner again.
I've got more sense than to try and keep up when I know I can't, so I'll be riding at a pace I'm happy with, getting to know my bike again. But I never had to try to keep up before, I just did. 'Tain't right I tells ye.
I've read and heard many times that the best riders are the ones who keep riding though the winter, the ones who ride when it's REALLY difficult, and I understand the theory of that statement enough to know why it's true and I've spent years doing it, but this year is the first where I can really see it from the fair weather rider's point of view, this is the first year where I've totally FELT it to be true as opposed to just KNOWING it.
Is it a bad thing? I don't think so. I'm seeing how the other half live, I'm being reminded again about just how difficult it is to ride a bike really well, I'll get to learn how to ride my bikes properly again enjoying all the fresh excitement they bought first time round and more improtantly... it'll be a good lesson for me about NOT TAKING THE CAR NEXT WINTER!!
I have ventured out a few times, just to see if I can still remember how to ride, and as I'm still alive I guess I still can. But it's amazing how my riding has gone off since I've been leaving the bike at home! It's no longer second nature to be at the right speed in the right place to take any corner that's approaching, now I have to think about it and still get it wrong. And I've lost that intimate contact with the bike I used to have, I ride around thinking "I'm sure it didn't used to make that sound" or "the gear change just doesn't feel right any more", but I can't remember what it did or didn't do last year.
I've got a big two day ride out this weekend, something I go on every year, but this is the first year I don't feel prepared for it. Usually I'm happy to mix it with the fast boys, this year I reckon I'll be at the back edging round the corners like a learner again.
I've got more sense than to try and keep up when I know I can't, so I'll be riding at a pace I'm happy with, getting to know my bike again. But I never had to try to keep up before, I just did. 'Tain't right I tells ye.
I've read and heard many times that the best riders are the ones who keep riding though the winter, the ones who ride when it's REALLY difficult, and I understand the theory of that statement enough to know why it's true and I've spent years doing it, but this year is the first where I can really see it from the fair weather rider's point of view, this is the first year where I've totally FELT it to be true as opposed to just KNOWING it.
Is it a bad thing? I don't think so. I'm seeing how the other half live, I'm being reminded again about just how difficult it is to ride a bike really well, I'll get to learn how to ride my bikes properly again enjoying all the fresh excitement they bought first time round and more improtantly... it'll be a good lesson for me about NOT TAKING THE CAR NEXT WINTER!!