Day 26 – 30 Days of Biking

If you’ve not heard of it before, 30 Days of Biking is a personal challenge with a charitable edge. People pledge to ride their bike every day in April, and for every two that do, 1USD is donated to World Bicycle Relief. This year we have six riders attempting the challenge.

Day 26

Usually, riding your bike is a good thing. Even a potter down the road to the shop, freewheeling down the hill with the wind in your hair, is probably a sight more beneficial than a walk to the same shop. But what if you have a training plan? And you’re not sticking to it? For whatever reason, you don’t manage to comply with The Plan. This is the slippery slope to hell. A fun play out with your mates in the woods is overshadowed by a niggling feeling that you shouldn’t be having fun, you should be sweating over a long XC slog, or hill reps, or core exercises. A quiet night in with loved ones and a bag of crisps is laden with guilt because really you should have been on the turbo trainer burning calories, not consuming them in front of the TV. So while riding your bike is a good thing, don’t sweat it if you’re not doing what you intended to do. Sometimes you need a break. Give yourself one. Ride to the shop, buy those crisps, ride home, and chill.

Adele

Coffee: you can’t be a cyclist without it. Today’s post-ride homemade cappuccinos were especially exciting as I have recently taken delivery of a milk frother. In fact we raced* round our ride in order to get home and try it out. Such fun!

*in truth we rode at our usual pace, chatting – but that doesn’t really lend itself to the story.

Giles

I’m calling it, the weather is broken. Over a few hundred vertical feet long shadows gave way to squally snow on tonight’s loop – the bright sunshine a beard for the bitter northerly that’s messing with Spring. At least the locals won’t have to witness my bare legs quite yet!

Greg

Motivation to ride my bike, or any sort of bike, or even do anything is frankly at an all time low. Haven’t been able to sleep in nearly three weeks as my jaw is buggered. Can’t eat anything more chewy than a Digestive Biscuit. Training for more than 5 hours at a time ruins my body as I can’t put enough food in to do it in the first place.

Hannah

Rode to work the long way round, because sometimes being late for work is the right thing to do.

Lara

Sure it LOOKS lovely out but it actually snowed shortly after my faux commute this morning and it’s been raining and blowing an icy cold hooly off and on all day! Spring????

…and now it’s snowing again!

…while the sun is still shining.

Rachel

Working in the same building as my biking buddy provides the perfect excuse for sociable pre- and post-work rides. This morning we had an early start to make the most of the day’s weather. A lovely chilled way to start the day.

Just ride

The news feeds are full of British Cycling shenanigans, revelations, and investigations. Goodness only knows where it will all end up, but let’s hope that one thing that comes out of it is happier athletes. Because, let’s face it, most of us are riding bikes because, in one way or another, it makes us happy.

Hannah Dobson

Managing Editor

I came to Singletrack having decided there must be more to life than meetings. I like all bikes, but especially unusual ones. More than bikes, I like what bikes do. I think that they link people and places; that cycling creates a connection between us and our environment; bikes create communities; deliver freedom; bring joy; and improve fitness. They're environmentally friendly and create friendly environments. I try to write about all these things in the hope that others might discover the joy of bikes too.

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