1927 Tour de France, credit unknown, but if any of you know the origin, do please let me know.
The Cannondale
Since my custom 650B Randonneur bicycle is about to be done, I can finally get rid of the heavy steel CX bicycle that I’ve changed into a semi-decent audax bicycle for a lightweight aluminium road bicycle; the Cannondale CAAD8.
I’m hoping that my theory of riding a heavy and uninspiring bicycle for almost a year and have done various audax ride that made it feel like I’m quite unfit being incapable of keeping up with the road trains* will be enough to make me feel a lots faster on a decent lightweight road bicycle (with fat 28c tyres of course).
I hope I won’t get a rude awaking next week.
*group of club rider, my name for them
What Do You Think About While Cycling
“that looks nice”, “I’m hungry”, “look at that”, “I’m thirsty”, “not seen anything like that for a while”, “I need to shift position”, “it’s so quiet”, “here comes a bend”, “I’ve not seen a car for over half an hour”, “mmm, banana flavour”, “engage my glutes”, “the trees have changed”, “I’m going to write another book”, “I’m hungry”, “hello, other cyclist”, “what will I eat when I get home”, “I’ll go fast for a bit”, “what the fuck is life about anyway”, “I’m hungry and thirsty”, “fuck off, cunt”, “wow, look at that”, “I love cycling”, “I hate cycling”, “something about the human condition”.
A car drives around a house that stands in the middle of a newly-built road in Wenling, Zhejiang province, China. An elderly couple refused to sign an agreement to allow their house to be demolished. They say that the compensation offered was not enough to cover rebuilding costs. Their house is the only building left standing on a road which is paved through their former village.
Picture - REUTERS/China Daily
When it come to ascending the mountain on a bicycle, I’m not sure how to described it, all I can says it’s probably one of those age old male trait of getting it done, needing to complete it, an ego booster, or simply climbing for the sake of climbing, in fact I really don’t know why I liked doing it, perhaps it’s the pain cave? the achievement or lack thereof? or the challenge?
Then I remember George Mallory’s comment when asked why he climbed Everest, and his respond is simply;
“Because it’s there”
I reckon that summed it up perfectly, simply because it’s there was enough reason for me to ride the passes, humanity has always been trying to reach out, to leap before you look, to take risk, having says that, it’s not exactly a risk climbing Hardknott, it was as 48 hours prior to arriving in Cumbria, Hardknott was impassible covered in snow and black ices, I knew this but pressed on out of sheer stupidly (or braveness they’re in all honestly the same, you can’t have just the one).
Won’t be long before I embark in similar journey across the Andes.
Just need to figure out whether I should stick with the Thorn, or get a Pugsley, feeling the Pugsley love already…
