Uk.rec.cycling/Tony Woods

How I Came To Enjoy Cycling by Tony Woods

I have always enjoyed cycling -- since I had a 20 inch wheel, single speed Hercules as a kid and used it to explore the area around home (in NE London) including parts of Epping Forest. Somehow everything was more relaxed in the early 60's. While I am sure the % of nutters, rapists and paedophiles was not significantly different from today parents seemed not to suffer from total angst and need to cotton wool their genetic legacy.

A Moulton was bought for me as I started senior school (about 3/4 mile commute through the forest -- very boggy in the winter) but I came off of it on my first test ride and fractured an arm and broke two front teeth -- coming down a hill too fast and hitting a stone in the road (I think). Mum had had a premonition that something nasty was going to happen that day and went with Dad to chauffeur him on a business trip that was likely to be boozy (in days when no-one worried about driving pissed).

At university I traded the Moulton for a standard diamond road job -- ancient, heavy but better suited to everyday use. This took me everywhere in and around Southampton -- with frequent trips to the New Forest and one expedition to Stonehenge for the Summer Solstice (in days when there was a bit of a festival there!!).

On graduating I had some cash so bought a car and bought into the Margaret Thatcher principle of travel (drive, only paupers and oiks travel by bike or public transport). But the trusty (or is that rusty) steed came out from time to time for commuting when the car was broken and for longish rides in the country at weekends.

After about 10 years of gainful employ the rusty steed was getting past repair (probably wasn't but I knew less then than I do now). I had a dream of cycle touring -- so a lovely new Galaxy was purchased for an obscene amount of dosh -- to be used a few times a year but basically to live in the shed.

Then I went to live in Germany. After a couple of years I was made redundant and lost the company car. While 'considering my options' -- i.e. one sunny afternoon when I was so bored of looking at the four walls of my flat, so disgusted by my extending gut and so depressed at the most recent lack of response to my job finding activities -- I got the Galaxy out of the garage and went for a ride -- probably only 10 miles but it was the start of my real love affair with cycling. From that day I cycled more and more regularly and found that it provided a protected time to think. Soon I go myself onto a post grad course -- with funding from the German unemployment benefit people -- which ran from about 8:00 to 14:30 each day -- allowing a quick train home and then a couple of hours on the bike. At last some intellectual stimulation (made more interesting by my relatively poor German at the time) and physical activity. Hey -- I even began to re-gain self respect and feel good. Plus I planned my escape route -- setting up my own little company back in England.

To keep costs low I moved in with my Mum. My cycling provided a break for both of us. After Mum died last year I finally achieved my dream of cycle touring properly with a six week tour in India over last Xmas. Not my first real tour (I have had short tours in Germany, France, Italy, the USA and, of course, England) but my first extended, time is no object tour. See http://homepage.ntlworld.com/anthony.woods43 for lots of stuff on my touring.

This summer has been poor from a cycling view point. Injury and illness have curtailed my cycling (I have only done about 80 miles since the beginning of May) but I will be back on the bike shortly (maybe this pm for a very few miles).

For me cycling is pure relaxation. A time to watch nature change and to think. It has nothing to do with 'exercise' (I don't do 'exercise'), little to do with transport (though I am moving back into a town from the boondocks soon so transport will become a more important part of cycling) and everything to do with enjoyment.

Tony Woods