As committed cyclists we all have one. Turning points. That moment, or moments, which led us into this sport in the first place. Or perhaps saw our involvement within it escalate from being an occasional peddler to a regular rouleur, or social rider to racer. Chatting with a mate while out riding last week, he confessed his turning point was the day he came last in a four-person D-Grade race over a year ago. He’d been riding semi-seriously for while, but the frustration he felt that day finally motivated him to pull his finger out, step up his training and see how good he could be. Now he’s knocking on the door of B-grade where I’m sure he’ll be soon enough. Me? Like many others, my turning point was more of a health-related issue, I needed to get fit again. Once I saw the initial benefits of cycling even just short distances a few times a week – physically, mentally and even socially – I was like a kid at a gelato shop. I wanted more and, even now, can barely sate my weekly appetite.
How about you? What was your turning point? Was it a moment years ago or a more recent event? Was it a gradual accumulation of things or one significant one? Did your parents rope you into it one summer, forcing you to choose between cricket and the bike? Were you returning from an injury? Or was it something else completely?
Carbon Addiction 