The Ah-Ha Ride

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• You would think so, but that is slap bang in the middle of another busy period, hey ho. Someones got to feed the world, by the way it ain't me, who needs daffodils, potato chips or whisky after all.

• @Gianni Hmmm.  From greatest to least molasses effect, and noting that it varies, my guess is aerodynamics, core heat rejection, weight, freedom of motion, and time wasted adjusting layers.  By "core heat rejection" I mean that many people, sometimes me, overdress on winter rides and end up running a bit hot and lugging around sweat drenched kit.

  Worked the first rest stop at Gran Fondo Hincapie this morning.  It started out 50 degrees and went to 70, which should have been arm and/or leg warmers soon stuffed into the jersey.  With all the rest stops it's not like their pockets had much else.  But no!  Riders were told they could drop gear at the first stop.  We ran out of bags in 10 minutes and had to buy more twice at a nearby grocery.  Never seen so many overdressed riders.

• The nice part of the "ah-ha" ride is that it gives you that boost to push even harder.

• Having spent my 54th birthday on a 114km ride last Sunday and realising there were a few ah-ha moments, let me tell all you youngsters it does still happen, just less frequently (like other physical & pleasurable activities that are best left to my imagination).

  I am reminded of a ride last year, Marlow Red kite ride if you are bothered, when I noticed a well-old geezer and his missus at the start. She had that well-worn look of someone who had seen her hubby off many a time at some stupid time in the morning on a ride, but there were still those gentle, subtle touches that showed she still cared and was quietly proud of him. Having struggled around the Century and threw myself on the ground with aching knees I slowly gained consciousness. Arriving about 45 mins after me was the old git, to be met by his frail wife (?) with a coat and cup of tea. It was only later, when I checked the results on-line and tried to convince myself that I hadn't done too bad that I noticed they were also tagged by age. A certain over-80 male, (well the only one) had got round in just over 7 hours. He was, and still is, my hero. If I can be still doing that in at least 26 years time I'll be so full of ah-ha it will frighten passers-by.

  So, as we head into what passes as winter here on old London town, and I cuss the weather on my pathetically short commute to work I will have my ah-ha moments as I recall the well-hard geezer who could get off his boney arse on a damp September morning and really lay down the Vs. Just hope he got nut-deep in her that night as warm down. (or is it just me who thinks about pensioner sex?)

• @markb   Careful who you call youngster around here!

• @markb

  It WAS just you.

  Now the rest of us have reluctantly - and without warning - joined in.

• Talk about an ah-ha ride... though not exactly as meant by it here but my eyes were opened. Bunches of folks from town have been digging the state CX racing this fall so I slapped a rigid fork and some skinny tires on my old hard tail mtn bike and went racing. What a friggen blast! CX is hard core red line racing. I've had plenty of fun w/XC racing but you do get some moments of recovery. Not in CX. I'd have figured that whole business of jumping off and back on your bike after running with it was kinda strange. And it is. But still, it's a hoot. Fun scene. Yee hah. Cheers all.

• @ChrisO

  This is one of the advantages of coming to serious cycling later in life.

  While I've always been a commuting or recreational cyclist I really only started proper road cycling in my late 30s,racing in my 40s and dedicated training in the last couple of years. Living on my own 80% of the time has helped.

  Consequently I find myself on a happy curve of continuing improvement, so far. I know at some point the curves will cross or I will lose form and suffer. Perhaps that will be version of the Ah-Ha ride.

  I'm with ya on this one... start late and happy curve of improvement. And thank lucky stars for the good health that comes with it.

• @markb

  Just hope he got nut-deep in her that night as warm down. (or is it just me who thinks about pensioner sex?)

  Awwwww jeeeze, pensioner sex. I guess I should be proud that this has taken a dark turn on my watch. Beyond that, I don't know what to say right now. 

• @ChrisO

  @markb

  It WAS just you.

  Now the rest of us have reluctantly - and without warning - joined in.

  Thanks for the laugh that almost made the previous shock worthwhile.