Redux

When I first started this blog I was in the first flush of cycling enthusiasm - every ride an adventure, dewy eyed and romantic about all things two wheeled. Inevitably sustaining that kind of excitement is not only impossible but is also wearing and I found the duty of keeping the blog going a chore - another piece of unnecessary maintenance. So it just stopped and in many ways it stopped at the right time - The LeighRiders still exist but they are a very different group with less of a readily identifiable identity.

The biggest change is, though, having a son who cycles - one who has grasped the bike's possibilities and flourished. James has introduced me to the rarefied air of racing and all that that entails. Last year, as Junior racing at National level I got to witness the future stars of the sport in action, experience the thrills of cheering my boy home and picking up the tab for repairs, breakages and necessary bits of kit. I loved every minute of it.

So, as fifty lifts its head above the horizon, I have decided to pause and consider the part cycling plays in my life and to use the blog to record not only James' progress as he makes his way in the ranks of the British domestic racing scene but also my own meagre efforts to fight middle aged inertia. I have set myself a number of targets to mark my quinquagesimus: to beat my PB for a 25mile timetrial (start with the low hanging fruit); to take part in a number of audax events, including at least one 200km event; to lower my 10 mile PB; to complete a 50mile timetrial and to end the season with no excuses...