Like everyone this last year, I’ve been taking a look at the important things in life as they’ve been brought into closer focus. My lockdown rides were limited to joining one friend from a choice of two or three and we mostly rode a handful of the same old trails close to home. And yet these rides were as inspiring as any I’ve ever done. The knowledge of riding a very familiar, local trail can be reassuring, but challenging at the same time. Can you ride the tricky bits of the climb better than last time? How long can you do the descent before you have to touch the brakes? I must admit, lockdown wasn’t all bad for me.
In the last year, I’ve also got engaged to be married and, thanks to an offhand remark to our next-door neighbour, rapidly we sold our house to them and moved into a much smaller place; prompting much downsizing and ‘How many pairs of cycling shoes does one rider really need*?’ conversations.