The Point Of No Return

You know the score...... rifling around your sock drawer like a madman/woman trying to find a pair of non cycling specific socks. Making space in the cupboards as various tubs of fantastic carb-laden potions clutter up the shelves. You have a specific area (that seems ever expanding) dedicated to bikeparts no longer used but stored away for that emergency requiring some long-retired chainring. Pots of soothing lotions, rubs and balms fill the bathroom cabinet. A neat plastic box holds a plethora of crazy looking bar and gels in all manner of fantastic flavours. The bookshelf seems to be spread about 30% dedicated to literature and 70% to cycling magazines. Then there's the wardrobe, what originally started out as one shelf dedicated to cycling lycra now spans a whole section of the wardrobe, and its still stuffed to capacity. You have a dedicated 'accessories' bag - housing caps, scarves, snoods, gloves and of course oversocks in every colour of the rainbow. You sit at work, and whenever there is a spare moment you without a moments thought navigate to a cycling bookmark. You enjoy browsing cycling twitterers, engaging and feeling an affinity with like minded enthusiasts - even though you never met them. You log your training miles, even down to the lowly commute, and its never quite as good as it could be. You are strict with carb intake.... only before big rides and a lactic sprint follows after consumption. You weigh yourself every other day, constantly ruing the result. You designate a weekend morning or day off to 'cleaning the bikes'. The grin on your chops is from how gleaming you got your chain. You scremble for something to write your shopping list on.... Its a Skil Shimano team card.


Others on the outside call it 'obsession'..... 
those of us ensconced inside the bubble call it 'passion'.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I just wanted to drop a line and tell you how much I like your blog.

It seems so many recreational riders are ignorant to the style and substance of pro cycling, but your blog is quite an exception. It is nice to see the disparate descriptions of the first group ride, cycling obsession, and obsession over PRO gear, all in the same place.

Keep it up,
-Russell

Anonymous said...

Are you sure we're not the same person? :-)

jacob said...

you still have regular socks?

Bianchista said...

Russell - many thanks for your comment, its nice to know people enjoy killing time on this blog - its merely a jotter for everything I enjoy and love about two wheels and want to share.... hearing comments like yours inspires to keep on throwing stuff up.... so thanks!.

Teresa - Even though this was just a silly blog i threw up whilst thinking out loud via the keyboard its something we can all identify with - cycling truly takes a hold of a person....and i love that! :-)

Jacob - that's the problem, I can never find a pair of non merino non sweat-wicking socks anymore :-)

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