Cycle ride

Well as it was such a nice day today so I thought I'd take my road bike out for a bit of a spin.

I set out in the early afternoon and proceeded to follow the 20-mile circuit that Rosie and I have adopted following the Oxfordshire Classic bike ride last year. This ride takes me over the hill to Cholsey, up the straight roman road to Wallingford, over the thames a couple of times and back through Long Wittenham.

I do like the way in which life becomes so simple when I'm out cycling. I can just focus on the road, keep up my steady rythem of pedalling, and enjoy the countryside. In particular I like the feeling of swift and steady progress that comes with road cycling.

Something else that has struck me recently is how comfortable I have become riding my bike on the road these days. I used to be quite squeemish about tackling a busy road, but my confidence has grown enormously in the last few years. I guess the lesson is that riding on the roads isn't really as daunting as it may have seemed at first, and with that realisation comes a feeling of freedom.

Rosie and I are certainly planning to do lots of road cycling this year. Last year we managed 78 miles in one day, when we did the London to Brighton, so this year we are going to aim for a round 100 miles. Something to look forward to!