But what kind of cycle to buy? One that is comfy for you as you’re sitting in the saddle, and has plenty of gears so you can ride up inclines with relative comfort – after all, not everybody lives in Holland! One should be able to lift your bike with comparative ease as you’ll find yourself needing to do so sometimes, for example over a low hurdle. Claud Butler mountain bikes are a good range of bikes to start looking at.

Also make sure you have the appropriate accessories for your bicycle : a pump, front and back light, mudguards, reflector lights, reflective jacket, helmet and strong lock. These will aid you in keeping safe at nighttime, and the cycle out of reach from robbery. Ensure you lockup your cycle in a moderately communal place.

Lastly, it’s a good move to commit a bit of time into studying how to fix your cycle. There’s no need to be an expert, but it’s handy if you can find out how to adjust your brake pads and brake cables as these often require fine-tuning after heavy usage. Also ensure you keep the bike well lubricated with oil and the tyres pumped hard to make riding less effort. And it almost goes without saying, take great care on the streets – use your arms to indicate when turning, and keep to the left on all roads.

What if your legs are too old and too tired to win the GC in the Tour. And what if the explosiveness of your muscles have somehow disappeared. The power that used to be there, simply vanished. The media and the sponsors are now chasing the number 1 guy. He gets all the honor and glory. You know you can never measure up to the palmares of the top riders. Why do you keep going?

When the game is over, is it possible to measure your achievements and success on your own scale? Or do you have to compare your results to the top riders of the day? Can you say to yourself; “I did well, I am happy with my career”, when everyone is measured on results from the classics or grand tours?

You keep going because you know, deep down inside, that when you have that perfect ride, the ride where everything works, nobody can beat you. Nobody. You may have to wait until next season, or maybe even the season after that, before you will experience this ride again. Because of this, you keep going.

I am a full-time endurance athlete, working towards the 2012 London Olympics. I maintain a blog, describing my ups and downs of training / racing.
http://roadrace1.blogspot.com