Achievement

What you consider to be an achievement in cycling depends very much on your type of cycling and very much on who you are. One of the great things about it is that it can be as much or as little of a challenge and as much or as little fun as you choose to make it. If you want to jump over street furniture, or just roll along to work and whether it’s about hurting yourself going up a hill or on the ground as you come down, it’s all cycling and all part of the big family on two wheels.

If you’re five years old then it’s a big achievement to ride down a mountain, as Mylas Rodriguez has in Big Bear. I’m not sure it’ll end up being the biggest ride of his entire lifetime, but so far it’s got to be way up there. Already he’s done more than many bikers with expensive bikes ever manage to achieve and he has a long future of riding ahead of him to discover. I’m sure in a few years he’ll be the kid ripping past me on a technical section while I struggle and swear.

If you’re a pro cyclist then achievement might come in the form of a Tour de France and a stage win. After a bit of a false start Mark Cavendish did finally manage his two wins in the sprinter-friendly stages of week one on the Tour. This is old and not particularly groundbreaking news, and so what I found more exciting is that you can follow the members of HTC Columbia on Googlemaps thanks to their various sponsorship deals. There’s something strangely addictive about following their progress across France live from your desk. You too can do it here.

Finally for today if you’re a dentist then cycling achievement is inventing a way to keep your hands out of the wind while you ride. He seems to have copied the concept from the accessories popular with motorcycle couriers and fast-food delivery riders, and I’m sure we’ll see them turning up first on those over accessorised cheap mountain bikes around every town. Personally I’ll be sticking with gloves.

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