I’m now allowed to cycle again, having been away from it for the best part of 9 months. I’m only allowed to do 10 miles a week, which really isn’t a lot given I used to do at least 11 each weekday and probably 40 over the course of an average weekend.
I’m currently splitting that allowance across two days of each week, as there is a nice 5 mile loop from my house. It took me about 35 minutes the first couple of times I did it last year; today it took me 17’45″ including slowing to wait for 2 sets of lights to change and stopping at a third set. This is a reassuring sign that my fitness this year is still OK: I’ve been doing my best to keep my legs & lungs in good order, and it’s nice to have a reasonably objective measure that says I’ve been successful.
It’s also good to know I haven’t ruined my bike through neglect. I had to change the front tube because the valve wouldn’t take more than about 80 PSI, both wheels needed re-truing, and the drivetrain needed cleaning/lubing, but after fixing those minor niggles it runs as smoothly as ever.
I was also a bit worried that I would have forgotten how my SRAM DoubleTap shifters work, and indeed I had at a conscious level. My fingers however seemed to have no trouble remembering what to do.
I was also pleased to find that my setup is still comfortable. I spent a lot of time, effort and cash towards the end of last season getting the dimensions of my bike right for me, but I had to stop riding before I got a chance to test it properly. As you’ll probably have noticed yourself you can get used to a bad setup, to the point where you can’t tell if a change has made it better or worse unless you put some serious mileage onto it. However, if you haven’t been riding you can tell very soon after getting on a bike whether anything hurts or not, and I’m pleased to report that nothing does. I may try and do something more to take the vibrations out of my handlebars, but I suspect there’s not a lot that can be done.
