When I came back to cycling 23 years ago I bought a £200 Raleigh MTB in a shop and thought I'd ride it home. After three miles on under-inflated fat tyres I was ready to die; I didn't touch the bike for many weeks but then I started thinking: "Hang on, people ride bikes for hundreds of miles - I should be capable of better than that!" So when I moved to Lancashire and got some stability in my life I started going out. Even at that time if you'd told me I would be riding 50 to 80 miles for fun I'd have laughed at you and it wasn't until I moved from MTB to road riding two years ago that I found myself doing those kinds of distances. Now I relish the idea of a 60 mile ride, hills don't bother me and at 55 I have a 32" waist and a resting heart rate of 48. My idea of my own range on a bike has expanded beyond just my town and the surrounding hills to the entire county and the other side of the Bowland fells, distant towns and landscapes and even competitive rides. The idea of riding 22 miles with 750 feet of climbing from home to office isn't daunting at all because I know it would be over in less than 90 minutes and I would arrive with energy to spare for a day's work. Cycling has become my obsession, it shapes my life and my friendships and my weekend activities. Years ago I would never have thought cycling could take over from mountaineering, rock climbing, ski touring, motorcycling, photography and the other obsessions I've experienced.
You're on the road to achieving all that my friend, I envy you for the joy you are going to experience as you discover your true capabilities.
