Still Christmas brought FMFT some shiny new things and a chance to swap from silver shoes to bronze ones (somewhat like finding that the person you thought was disqualified for taking drugs or being the wrong sex was actually clean or who they claimed to be) although joking aside they are very fancy and my feet appreciate them. It also gave a chance to actually realise what cycling is all about, for me at least. On the yuletide morning while people decided that it was a good day to simply cut out any pretence at having a puffed-rice base to their sweet breakfast and have chocolate on its own as a nourishing start to the day, I packed up the car and headed to another country.
Admittedly it was Wales, but, as with visiting more exotic climes, you still have to pay some sort of visa waiver to enter the principality. Once cleared through customs I headed to Cwmcarn, an old favourite of mine for a quick ride with everything. As ever it didn’t disappoint in any way. I was treated to an hour and a bit of perfect Welsh singletrack, climbing for half the time up the valley and then a rollercoaster run down again, all of it sparkling under a frozen, grippy and firm layer of snow, looking like Narnia but without the religious overtones.
The ride left me grinning and relaxed, even thought I was suffering with a cold which left my chest burning, and that’s why riding a bike, whether to work or for fun, is amazing. Even if the year stretches emptily ahead, the chance of moments like that, even in the depths of the cold make it worth looking forward to.
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