This article is part of a series called ‘A love letter to…’, where Cycling Weekly writers pour praise on their favourite cycling items and phenomena. The below content is unfiltered, authentic and has not been paid for.
At last, the sun is out. I’m sure you’ve seen the forecasts. You probably waved your phone at your friend, like I did, smiling in disbelief at the numbers on the screen. Temperatures in the UK this week are expected to stay above 20 degrees. Time to ride, at last.
Where I live in London, pub landlords are putting tables outside their front doors. Shops have moved the sun cream displays, now selling it by the tills. And I, well I am finally looking forward to getting out on my bike.
That’s right; I, unashamedly, am a fair weather cyclist. And it’s great.
All the pictures I have of my rides are in beautiful sunshine, my bike hardly ever gets dirty, and I never have to waste an hour trying to fix a puncture with cold hands.
The weather this week has put me in an excellent mood. Yesterday, I sang gleefully as I got lycra’d up for a short post-work ride. My housemate, someone who proudly rides in all conditions, asked me whether I was planning on doing “real cycling” or “fake cycling” – the former, in his eyes, is the type one does outdoors; the latter the type one does indoors.
I have done my fair share of “fake cycling” recently. The weather, let’s face it, has been miserable. Still, I like to keep fit, and if the only way I can wear short sleeves and bibs is on my indoor trainer, then indoors I shall remain.
Yesterday, though, I was heading outdoors. I told my housemate this, and invited him to shove his all-weather righteousness where the sun doesn’t shine – a place I’m sure he’d enjoy riding.
Last year in the UK, rain fell on 171 days. That’s about every other day for those averse to quick maths. For me, and fellow fair weather cyclists like me, this makes riding opportunities slim. That’s why sunny weeks like this one are so soul-nourishing.
There are a few reasons why I won’t ride in the rain. Number one is that, plain and simply, I don’t like it. I hate being cold. I also don’t like the lack of visibility and the fear of sliding out on the wet surface. In fact, I’m even less inclined to brave the elements these days after I crashed in a storm and broke three bones in my face a few months back.
No, for me, cycling needs to be a positive experience, and the weather plays a big role. I’m a hobbyist, not a racer, after all. Nowadays, I find myself less in the camp that wants to “earn their stripes” and “suffer” in harsh conditions, and more in the camp that wears sunglasses and stops for fizzy drinks.
Some might say that means I have less grinta. True, I’d say, but at least I always wear a grin when I ride.
