Very occasionally, getting on my bike and going for a ride feels like conquering a mountain. Impossible. Which is… weird. because riding a bike is one if the things I do best.
- I have endurance;
- I have plenty of routes in my head;
- I have loads of kit;
- and I have more than one bike.
Apparently that doesn’t matter though. Sometimes my brain just says: “nah, not today”. That lasted a few days last week. Nearly all week, actually. You then find yourself stuck in a rut – the habit of waking up early and swinging your leg over your top tube like it’s nothing – totally ruined.
Instead you choose a lie in, a warm duvet, the easy option of Doing Nothing.
Finally I managed to haul myself out of bed on Monday. The act of getting out of bed early and pulling lycra on and making a coffee seems easy but every step of the way felt so hard. When I opened the door and wheeled my bike outside, the mountain vanished. I clipped in and off I went, like there had never been a mountain at all.
And it’s okay to feel like this, right? It’s really hard with Strava around to be honest, seeing everyone having fun out on their bikes but feeling, for some reason, like you just can’t. And yeah, it is okay actually. Some days aren’t yours. Some weeks too.
But when you feel better, your bike, your kit and the lanes will still be there, waiting. And so will our club!
Sunday Rides
For those in Penge this weekend, fingers on the buzzers and get ready to sign up on RiderHQ for the ride of your choice. It is open for booking at 6pm today.
The link above should show all Penge CC events, including Sunday rides available for booking. You will only see this Sunday’s rides when the event opens for booking.
Six to a group, no waiting lists – let me know if you want to lead a second group. More detailed instructions about our social distanced rides.
| Ride | Leader | Departure Location | Departure Time | Distance (miles) | Speed (mph) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long 4 | TBC | SE20 Cycles | 7:15 | 45-55 | 17+ |
| Long 3 | Jeff Butcher | Crooked Billet | 7:30 | 45-55 | 15-16 |
| Long 2 (2) | Andy Harding | Corner of Kent House / Beckenham Road | 9:30 | 45-55 | 13-14 |
| Long 2 | Simon Wilkins | SE20 Cycles | 7:45 | 45-55 | 13-14 |
| Long 1 | Lucy Stylianou | Crooked Billet | 8:00 | 50 | 11-12 |
| Short 4 | Rob Boselli Alcock | SE20 Cycles | 8:15 | 30-35 | 15-16 |
| Short 3 | Nick Brun | Crooked Billet | 8:30 | 30-35 | 13-14 |
| Short 2 | Liz Begley | SE20 Cycles | 8:45 | 30-35 | 12-13 |
| Short 1 | Barry Graham | Crooked Billet | 9:00 | 30-35 | 11-12 |
| Short 1 (2) | Katie Ferguson | SE20 Cycles | 8:30 | 30-35 | 11-12 |
| Steady | Ann Ferris | SE20 Cycles | 9:15 | 24-27 | 10-11 |
Strava Leaderboard
What a board this week. Special congratulations to Tash on completion of her second Everesting!
Closing Thoughts
Have a great weekend!
Niki Wilson, Adult Rides Co-ordinator for Penge Cycle Club.