Over the past couple of weeks we seem to have been enjoying a hint of an early spring......
Now I am not someone who is fooled by nature's habit of kidding us into believing that winter is on the way out and that spring has arrived early.... However I do think that when the weather is good you need to get the bike out and make the most of the good weather when it's here and that is just what I have been doing....
After riding up the very steep drag of a hill from Horrabridge up towards Sampford Spiney there is a very nice spot at a junction of lanes surrounded by trees where I pulled over for a brief rest....
As I stood there chewing on an energy bar an old gentleman riding his ebike stopped and we fell into conversation. He told me that he had started cycling way back in 1945 which was three years before I was born... Over the years he had raced...toured and ridden for fitness... Apparently only three weeks ago he had a stent fitted due to an aortic aneurysm and was told that he should wait six weeks before riding his bike again but cabin fever had set in and he just had to get out and ride... This is something that I can fully understand.
Now I am not someone who is fooled by nature's habit of kidding us into believing that winter is on the way out and that spring has arrived early.... However I do think that when the weather is good you need to get the bike out and make the most of the good weather when it's here and that is just what I have been doing....
Not all of Dartmoor consists of wide open areas of wild moorland there are lots of narrow country lanes bordered on each side by hedges that take you from small village to small hamlet...
One of these hamlets is Sampford Spiney. I used to cycle there when we stayed at the Tavistock C&CC site so it seemed a good place to head for on a recent ride...
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Near Sampford Spiney.
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| A great lunch stop |
As I stood there chewing on an energy bar an old gentleman riding his ebike stopped and we fell into conversation. He told me that he had started cycling way back in 1945 which was three years before I was born... Over the years he had raced...toured and ridden for fitness... Apparently only three weeks ago he had a stent fitted due to an aortic aneurysm and was told that he should wait six weeks before riding his bike again but cabin fever had set in and he just had to get out and ride... This is something that I can fully understand.
He told me that over the past few years due to his health problems he had tried various types of ebike but each one had failed due to one reason or another but he had persevered with them because they had allowed him to continue to ride way beyond what would otherwise have been possible.....
As he zoomed off on his ebike I reflected on the way cycling allows you to meet some very interesting and colourful people... I was so impressed by his determination to continue to ride despite his health problems way into his late eighties... Hats off to you sir......
3 comments:
Most times its only fellow cyclists who can appreciate the need and the joy of getting out on a bike. Its like the famous Conan Doyle quote "When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking."
If an e bike allows anyone to continue to enjoy the cycling experience then so be it.
Yes hats off to him, we have a similar person in our club who's 88.
Winter is never truly past until Easter...
@Dave
That's a great quote Dave.... As you say you probably have to try it to understand it....
@Steve A
You can't even rely on that Steve....I've known it to snow over a number of Easter holidays over the years.....
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