Some days making it home, or even to work, doesn’t feel like a chore. It manages to rise above the feeling of dragging yourself out of bed and having to grind all the way along the same roads to get to the same job and sit there for hours pretending to be busy. (In case anyone at my job is reading this, I am indeed very busy and useful, and I’m doing this in all my own time, certainly not at work, and any sweeping statements are exaggeration for dramatic effect. Honestly). Some days the ride feels like an actual fun ride, and sometimes that happens quite unexpectedly. Just the first kick of the pedals and it feels right and good, or a surprise moment of flow through a tricky little gap makes you smile and want to keep riding. Suddenly you’re wanting to keep riding and not just get it over with, wanting to cruise on past work and see things and keep threading between other road users. Instead of cowering in the gutter you’re asserting yourself and feeling bigger than the biggest bus terrorising you.
Sometimes it’s a game in your head. Finding singletrack in the gaps between cars, stream crossings in dirty puddles and rolling undulations where there were speed humps the day before, and fireroad climbs with panoramic views instead of that bit of windy road where you always glimpse your reflection in the mirrored office front. Other days you’re racing hard and dropping the other commuters with a powerful acceleration (although this seems to coincide with the Tour de France on the telly). And on other days it’s just the things you see. Following a cute Specialized Dolce for a while, or even an Audi R8 overtaking you, anything to break up the normal flow of dull bikes and duller cars, they all help to make a better trip and give you a small smile.
Often the weather helps. Snow is fun once. After the first day it’s a right pain and not fun at all, but the day it arrives and you drag the mountain bike out to grip the crisp drifts and use all you have to balance on the ice and control the sidewaysness. Better, however, is summer. The days you’re rolling along with bright sun on your arms and face, needing sunglasses for once, and not having to wipe the unexpected rain from them. But then the best thing about summer is the girls… Summer clothes get rolled out and all of the reasons for a good ride are combined; something to dream about, something to look at and more challenging riding as your attention’s focussed elsewhere!
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