Re-aquainting

I have been a most neglectful bike owner of late. Neglectful - might not be exactly the right word, but I have certainly been guilty of favouritism. The MTB has been the golden child for quite a few weeks, the roadie sitting forlorn in the corner of the office, bolted up to the windtrainer, but not getting any love.

Well I changed this week - three pretty good sessions on the roadie. Which is good, considering I'm supposed to be riding it 210km in about 3 weeks time!

Slight tangent - I've picked up a couple of days work a week at the Bicycle Superstore - handy to keep a bit of extra cash flowing into the rapidly depleting savings account, plus it gets me out of the house and into polite company, plus it's a bike store. Dream job certainly, unfortunately it doesn't come with a dream pay packet.

But it means 2 days a week bicycle commuting to work, which will add an extra 50km to the weekly tally. Easy km, but I'll take 'em, that's for sure!

Anyway back to the road bike, 3 rides this week. Count them, 3! 1 was a pretty soft commute, yesterday a 75km suffer-fest out to a friend's BBQ. The first really warm day of the year - 29C, and punching into a hot, dry, northerly wind the whole way, I was a little tired and emotional by the time I got there.

And Ride #3 - I felt like getting my own arse handed to me on a platter, and entered one of the club criteriums today. Albury Council put on a bit of a show for NSW Bike Week - with a couple of social MTB rides, a road ride, and then crits as well today.

I entered C grade - 20 minutes on a 1:40 course, small pinch climb, and the longest strait directly into the wind. A little challenging, and once I'd fallen off the back of the splintered group, a real hard slog back into the wind.

So I got lapped by the lead group, but I wasn't last, and I picked off a couple of riders towards the end. But geez it was hard work - the hammer is down as soon as you get off the line, HR straight to 180+, and there it stayed.

So a good week on the bike - a 27, 48, 75, and 28 - much better than previous weeks.

I think the cycling mojo is returning.