I've riden bikes since I was a child, about four I think? I learned to ride on a blue drop crossbar (girls?) bike, where it came from I've no idea, but given the fact that all three of my brothers had learned to ride on it & it actually had solid rubber tyres & a system of levers instead of brake cables, it had clearly been around a while! Needless to say, it did the job.
Bike wise, I've been super lucky, I saw the birth & hype surrounding BMX, I loved them, but it took me ages to get my hands on one. A Raleigh Burner, customised with giant CW bars & white mushroom grips, any fans will know what I'm talking about. Plus a young Nicole Kidman in BMX Bandits! My pre teen life was complete! Then as a teenager, I saw the dawn of mountain bikes, it was exciting stuff, something other than a sensible 'racer' as they were known then. So, I saved my money from working in the bakers & bought my first mountain bike!
The mountain bike, a white Peugeot Ranger (that I picked from the brochure in the bike shop) was a real liberator. Yeah we all know the freedom first transport can bring but this was different, I didn't have to stick to roads! Soon I was across fields, tow paths, I was free! Well for about a year anyway until some toerag nicked it! That loss swiftly lead to the purchase of the next MTB a more grown up specialised hard rock (one of the first with the mud clogging U brake!) a great cross country bike. Did me well & i'm sure it still exists in one of my bro's sheds!
Fast forward to present day, the 'racers' I rebuffed in the late 80's have become the slick 'road' bikes of today & have a firm place in my soul, with the majority of my rides either training out in the lanes or commuting, though I do love the chance of a quiet bumble on the towpath on the mountain bike. I'm very happy with the multitude of road & mountain bikes currently in my stable. However, you all know the formula N+1. To the uninitiated, N=the number of bikes you currently own. One being, always room for one more
So, I digress! The point of this, why I ride. I ride to stay fit, both physically & mentally. I find if I stay physically fit, I stay more mentally fit, sharper mentally, more focussed but also my moods. I'm the first to put my hand up to being a moody git. The less I get out the grumpier I am. Fact. Riding helps keep that at bay. Which is good. Also, as a chronic migraine sufferer, some sustained & regular riding helps no end, acupuncture helps too, something I've just discovered this year, it doesn't stop
them (don't think anything will?) but it helps.
I also ride to justify my indulgences. I like drinking beer, eating kebabs, Chinese chips on the way home from the pub, cake & all the other good stuff! Riding stops those indulgences from sticking to my gut! But, riding can be an escape. Escape from stress, escape from work, escape from life generally, not in a bad way, just head space. Everyone needs their space & I'll take mine on two wheels thanks!
Out at the weekend the weather was amazing & the views around a the lanes simply stunning! #bikeshorttanlines. It can't be beaten, well not in my mind. At this time of year it's a sunny bike ride, a beer or some good BBQ. I'll make the most of it, because it'll soon be time for the winter bike & mud guards!
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