The Commute

23Jun10

Two weeks ago I got a new bike. A Ridley Helium with Dura-Ace gruppo, Fulcrum wheels and 3T bar and stem. I love it and I love riding it fast. Tonight I swung my leg over it after work to ride home. My hands went straight to the drops and I spent the next 30min riding hard. Lactic flooded my muscles and the cool night air tore at my lungs. Corners were taken at speed and every car, where possible was raced.

New bike race ready

I had a number of thoughts on my way home. How good is lactic, how much fun is riding and why would you bother driving.

I have often wondered what drivers think when I ride past them. It now occurs to me that some of those people in the cars might be the same ones that come into the bike shop where I work and ask me how a push bike could cost $10,000 and then comment that it doesn’t even have a motor before then saying they could buy a car for that much. Well my bike can average over 30km/hr between Camberwell and South Melbourne during my commute to work. How does your car do? I know it takes me longer to drive than it does to ride. Why drive?

Once my mind had used up this train of thought I began to think about what makes me race cars between intersections and why I would try and hold off a Holden Barina by doing over 60km/hr over the 2km stretch between Glenferrie rd and Burke rd in Kew (I failed). For whatever reason deep inside me I am driven to compete. I think I have written about it before but I need to test myself and for that reason it is very hard for me to be satisfied. Even in victory I am not perfect therefore any result is in its nature unsatisfying. For me satisfaction comes from the testing, the moment. That is also my motivation.

And finally to cap off a very strange blog my tip for the Tour de France is Frank Schleck. I will be very happy if Cadel Evans proves me wrong. Also check out http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/2010/06/what-would-jens-do/#more-12029 for a very funny blog about one of my favourite riders Jens Voigt.

Stay safe on the roads.

Filed under: Uncategorized   |  1 Comment
Tags: 3T, cadel evans, Commute, Dura-Ace, frank schleck, Fulcrum, Helium, jens voigt, ridley, winning