What does the world ask of you?

Sign of things to come

Just to confuse you this post will be littered with the photos from last Sunday's ride on The Joker Sportive.

The ability to control people or events

Graeme Fife, well-renowned author, broadcaster and polymath, talked about how little cyclists can actually control. When I recently exchanged thoughts with the Princess on the nature of suffering, I was not joking. I really think that the ability to enjoy the suffering is what separates a cyclist from a bike-rider. And to do that you have to accept that most of what goes on when you are on the bike is beyond your control. Perhaps, you can influence events, through clothing or gear choices. Perhaps in the long run you can buy a lighter bike, or lose some weight. All that will do is habituate you to a new degree of suffering. That is why Deer Leap is still blooming steep, and no matter how hard you try, it will be so until the next ice age.

Which is why climbing hills, short ones, steep ones, long draggy ones, or easy ones, is really all in your mind.

To be able to accept that, you have to let go of the urge to control everything. I think that is not just a cycling challenge, it's a life challenge. Paradoxically, the less you seek to control, the more you will influence, and the easier it is.

Mind freed, legs following

The rate at which work is performed or energy converted

All about heart rate and cadence, and of course the absence of kangaroo petrol. It's all very well having a brilliant 6000 horse power engine, but if it turns over very slowly with no torque, it will chug along like Ivor the Engine. Unlike the speeding human missile that passed the ACG on Deer Leap yesterday, clearly busy converting energy like there is no tomorrow. Just as well, for tomorrow, or today, is a wet and soggy day cooping the nation indoors.

Erstwhile colleague, highly organised and effective administrator, and I like to hope, a friend

Also an Irish surname, and Manchester City player, this scion of the family also is a bike rider, and can always be relied upon to give it to you straight and honest. No side. If all the world was like her, there would be more fights in the world, but I think there would also be more laughter, more authenticity and more joy. I salute you.

As I do all my cycling colleagues from today. King of the Hill was out, along with Skip, and her camera. Thankfully no pictures of me eating cake at the Fenny Castle cafe, or even of my a**e on a bike looking faintly ridiculous either. We were also joined by P, whose name will become apparent in the next few rides I hope, and together we made for a good, social ride. Especially coming down the gorge, when the visitors and financial contributors to our local economy were admiring the views and HOLDING ME UP ON MY DESCENT. Well, I retained my outer calm at least.



Aren't we stylish?



A song from the album "Louder than hell" by Manowar

 I never was a fan of heavy metal. I loved punk music in the 70s and early 80s, and when I frequented the youth club in Little Paxton, Cambridgeshire, there was always a battle for control of the record player by the punks and the heavy rock/metal/crap music fans. I lump them in together for they had no imagination or political sensibility. Music has far too important a place in the human psyche to be just about pleasure.

So, readers I tell you now what I told the ACG yesterday and my wife last Friday, as we travelled to a Leonardo da Vinci  exhibition (I put this in to let you know I am a man of culture, but in reality I prefer French painting to Italian, it's in my genes). Most modern music has no melody, or if it does, it is some voting-gameshow-reality rubbish, but most of all, it is not this this. I particularly liked the references to knowledge and it's connection with attractiveness in that clip. Makes you think, no?

And yes, I had spikey hair too, and yes it was all a long time ago.

Both the butt of the joke

An English Darts champion who has won 15 world titles.

Please.

Team kit rules all complied with

 A census-designated place in Teton County, Montana, United States

I think this is my favourite of them all. I have no idea what Montana is like, but obviously it has hills.That's French.  It doesn't have too many people either, so I think I'd probably like it.  Nt as good as the Mendips for sure, as the two versions of Charlie's routes, the  first and the second both showing my weird geometric pattern of a ride. For once I was just going where the road took me. Although it's not totally true because I did have to come home at some point, and after 50 miles and 3000 feet (remembering my Elevation corrections are enabled of course) I was glad to.

Everybody move to the left

I'm very grateful to World Traveller for the use of the title to this post!