"In these cool winter days of February, not everyone feels like going out on a bike ride, especially if it’s not part of your job but merely a pleasant hobby. But now I-m starting to feel the first inklings of spring on my skin. Today was a day more than others when I understood why I love bike riding every once in a while. I felt like a “cycling violet".
Just to get something straight, I don’t have an odometer on my handlebars, I don’t have a cardio-frequency monitor, so numbers don’t mean a thing! I don’t know how many kilometres I cover; I keep riding until I run out of time! I don’t have the cardio band, so once I’m exhausted I stop! I also stop a lot to take pictures of the scenery and if I come to a town I’ve never seen before I get off my bike and do the tourist bit. So instead of an odometer I imagine myself having a little Mulino Bianco pie!
When strong cyclists pass me on climbs they always say hi; I don’t even have the time to answer because they are already 100 metres ahead of me. That’s when I realize that I’m not all that great, but I’m in no hurry anyway!
I have all the time in the world to enjoy the scenery; I especially have all the time in the world to get back into myself. Cycling stimulates my creativity, it helps me see things more clearly.
Sometimes it happens that I don’t ride for days; then I see my husband, who rides professionally, get ready to go out and he says, “Go take a ride! It’s wonderful.”
As a working mom, sometimes it seems impossible to be able to eke out those few hours for a bike ride, but when I get back I see that my family is more serene, because I am more serene. I let go of all my tension and negative thoughts on the road and I come back home regenerated and full of enthusiasm. This is what cycling means to me. No numbers, no limits, no performance. It’s the freedom to feel yourself and feel the oxygen circulating throughout your body, especially in your head!
Today, thanks to RPM clothing, in spite of the still chilly winter air, I didn’t feel the cold. It was only a matter of putting on a few layers and I could go out and enjoy a spin!
Greetings from this “cycling violet”!
Claudia Morandini