When you change from a bike rider into a cyclist? Tonight, on the return leg of my daily commute, I passed through a small village I have come to know well. The drag up through the houses that means staying in the big ring is a feat not always achieved. The section at the church, which is the steepest, comes directly before the top and with it usually a sudden increase in speed or maybe just a chance to coast before the upcoming junction. Instead of focusing on the next stretch of road I found my mind wandering off into a time not too far away when I didn't even have a big ring or brakes for that matter, when I mostly tried to ride just on one wheel and the phrase going riding usually meant just hanging out with friends not mileage that meant walking up stairs was a challenge after. I'm not sure I miss those days or just see them for exactly what they were; great times and a stepping stone to where I am now - a place where I'm happy to be.
