It’s been a few weeks since I put anything down here on the site, however as perhaps with the warmest days over in the UK, I wanted to take stock of a few points regarding how we percived ourselves and new cyclists in particular.
If you follow or are part of the cycling fraternity then you’ll be familiar with the “Rules” (loving them or hating them), understand what N+1 means, the advantages of deep rim wheels, the importance of crank length and the pros and cons of tubes versus clinchers. Take a bow, you are a guru and possibly a cycling geek.
On the otherhand, if you are new to cycling, have no idea of what I just said above or really can’t be bothered with the technical stuff, treating your bike as if it was your car (if it squeaks or breaks, then take it to the shop) then you are probably dazed and may be even a little intimidated by the strange language cyclists use. That’s okay, I bet you get as big a thrill out of cycling as the geeks and snobs.
So what is the obsession with all the lingo that the “in crowd” use, and does it really matter ?
Let’s talk about rain
So the last couple of weeks of wall to wall sunshine has ended, the weather has broken and we have seen the return of rainy days and showers typical of a British summer, making many of us hesitate in getting on the bike, especially if it is a new found love because of lockdown.
I began to think about what impact rain has on our motivation to keep cycling, whether for pleasure or as our exercise. The good news is that with a few minor precautions and a little preparation, riding in the rain is not only possible, it can be…liberating.
The UK Government, and others across the world agree that a population that is active significantly impacts the outcome of health related conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, respiratory diseases, certain types of cancers, and mental health issues. Building on my post from a few weeks ago, I came across a US study that shows that there is a direct correlation between changes in the time gaps between our heart beats (called heart rate variation) and the leading causes of death.
As we move from a dreary January to dreary February, months in which most people who are "in training" for the year ahead are indoors on their turbo trainers, or toughening it out in the wind and the rain...though when it freezes or snows then we should be doing something else other than cycling!
For one, I don't have an adversion to workouts on the turbo trainer, just as long as I have something like Zwift to take my mind off the monotony, or focused sessions using Trainerroad, Sufferfest or BigRingVR (other training Apps are available), but there is nothing like riding outside in the sunshine on silky, traffic-free roads.
Given that isn't possible (often) in the UK, where can one find such a wondrous experience?