21 March 2011

Looking at Cycling through a New Pair of Eyes

Saturday, I went out for a ride with a friend who is just getting into the sport of cycling. It was one of those “intro to cycling” type of rides, where we just took it easy and talked. He would ask questions, and I would explain things such as gearing and shifting, and why it is bad to cross-chain.


It was fun to see a sport that I love, and have been doing for many years now through a new pair of eyes. To see the spark of understanding when he figured out how to shift, to hear the exhilaration and joy from a full-on, out-of-the-saddle sprint and the panic as he struggled to clip out before falling (he didn't fall). To see him now, and think back to when I was in the same place. Marking off those personal accomplishments such as the first ride out to the “steel eagle” and signing up for his first group ride brought back memories.

At one point in the ride, he apologized for going slow. I told him that it doesn’t matter how fast we are going, all that matters is that we’re out riding. I said that every ride doesn’t need to be a lung-busting interval session,

Sometimes that is exactly what we need. Thanks, Greg!

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