Well, it’s 25th November, one month to Christmas. Which means another year has nearly passed Mr Claus. I’ve ridden as much as I can in 2013, certainly more than last year, and have really tried to be respectful at all times – or as a local lady called Clover likes to call it, ‘gracious.’ I’ve won a couple of races, placed in a few others and blown up in lots more; you’d be hard-pressed to find a more generous prize money donor this year than me. Just on money matters, after watching Lachlan Morton in the USA Pro Cycling Challenge I couldn’t bring myself to do Movember again this year – sorry – but I still raised several thousand dollars for charity on a couple of different rides instead, including one out to Dubbo through the path of a bushfire.
Back home, I’ve always tried to be welcoming to new riders, and help them to feel more relaxed and confident both on the road and also in races, my own kids included. However based on a few recent skin-removing events I might need to refocus my attention on my own safety for a week or two. All year I’ve done my very best to ignore those tempting emails from Wiggle, Bike Bug, Chain Reaction, 99 Bikes, Pushys and co, and only buy kit I actually need. It’s been very hard at times – especially the heavy recent push to get us all to buy a CX bike – but I’ve been mostly successful on this front. I even faced my inner fears and got into track cycling for the first time a few months back and loved it.
Yeah, I’d like to think I’ve been a pretty good cyclist this year, Santa. So how about it? Despite the whole “n+1” theory, I don’t really need a new bike or set of wheels right now – although I would never say no to a 2014 Bianchi Infinito CV, of course – but how about a July trip to next year’s Tour de France instead? Any chance could fit that down the chimney? Pleeeeeeeeease.
😉
Pete
Carbon Addiction 