One of the great things about the hybrid bike is that I don't feel some kind of misguided peer pressure to affect cycling clothing. I can sling on a t-shirt of any variety and a pair of 3/4 length trousers (with cycling shorts for comfort underneath) and just head out. I don't feel the need to match specialist gear to a specialist bike in the way I do the mountain bike, just get out there in civvies. Makes a spontaneous or indeed covert bike ride entirely possible and speedy. Great thing about this bike too is that I feel it's somehow OK to not go for a serious ride, but with an hour of time on my hands get out there for a spin, and an hour is fine because this is not "serious" riding but leisure spinning or more often, simply transport. So trotted out the bike on Thursday afternoon at about 1:45 knowing I needed to leave home in the car at 3pm to head off to North Wales.
The advantage of knowing you only have an hour (I built in some time to shower afterwards) is that you can chose to hit the pedals hard, get the lungs gasping in a short space of time, safe in the knowledge you only have an hour, and how much damage and pain can you inflict upon yourself in that time, truly? Freedom too of not carrying a rucksack or a pannier, as all you really need for such a short ride is a teeny saddle pack complete with tyre levers, spare inner tube and teeny tiny mini pump. Freedom can be easy.
Checking my yellowing bruises nearly daily but have reached the conclusion that attendance at next week's christening will have to be in a maxi dress. My legs look like I have been beaten.
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