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My First Year as a Cyclist
by John Czernobay
I am working on the redevelopment of
the Manchester Arrndale and we always have a team building event and try
and support a charity event etc.. It just so happens there are some
cyclist on the project, which is a first as they tend to be runners,
sailors and boozers. On one very late evening when we all went out to
play, Peter from the Warrington Road Club suggested that we should do a
sponsored cycle event and I said "yeah great idea lets do something
big" he suggested the Ventoux and I said
"great" .he fell about laughing. We did sign
the table cloth as a pledge to do it, but alas, we lost it in the haze
later on that evening.
A few months past with me messing about in the gym and trying to
cycle up Crystal Palace Hill on what I thought was a really nice town and
country bike only to be described later by a member and now friend from
the Addiscombe as "that old pram". The guys from Manchester said
we'll fix you up on something better so off down to Eddie McGraths Cycles.
I got the OCR Giant down to Beckenham just before Christmas last and I
thought I would use it over the holiday period, but I hated it, it just
was all wrong. Little did I realise that a small adjustment on this lovely
piece of engineering makes a big difference and it takes time. Plus, don't
mention those cycling shoe cleats. So I went back to the old pram, it was
well within my comfort zone.
Another colleague at work who is on the project , Chris is a member
of the Twickenham Cycle Club. John he said, "you will have to get
some miles in your legs". Okay I thought I'll cycle up Anerley Hill
as well. Now Christmas is a great time together with old friends etc and
it just so happens that an old mate who we called up is a member of the Agreeables,
would you believe it, he never said before. I talked about this cycling
thing and he said come along one Saturday morning. So about two weeks into
this new year I turned with the old pram and my big yellow site coat to
keep warm. No one batted an eye lid, but boy did I think I had got this
all wrong, what was I doing here, in my tennis shoes, thick woolly socks,
jogging bottoms not to mention my lovely pram. Everyone was well spec up.
Any how people were very welcoming and they formed a 15mph group as there
was another "newbee", also on a pram. I remember crossing over
the A23 before the start of the M23 and John, Tim and Alex talking me
though it, I thought I was going to die. It was brilliant all the newbees
in the middle Addiscombe at the front, back and side and we just went
right across, it did make me feel safe. Coming back was a right hoot as
Jim(who is almost 80!) at the Café joined us. Me and the other newbee
couldn't stay with him coming over Caterham but we saw him turn off right,
so we followed. Needless to stay he was going home, he was great and did
invite us in for coffee. Also, poor John who was with the main group was
going up and down the A23 looking for us. Anyway, I broke the golden rule
and didn't retrace the route and tried to get back to Beckenham cross
country, I didn't get home to gone three.
Anyhow, February came along and with it half term with my lovely
children. Right I thought, this is it me or the OCR Giant.
So I practiced balancing on the thing between the kitchen units and
unclipping my shoes. So first thing Monday I was back out on the road,
just going around the block and left turns only; I didn't want to try a
right turn only to find I can't get my feet out. After about an hour each
day for couple of days it was starting to come together, plus a couple of
successful right turns together with some "minor" adjustments,
it was happening. So when the CR came that Saturday, I did it and what a
difference it made.
Well I did the Ventoux in May and it was great and I'm going to go
back, the whole place is fantastic, cyclists everywhere, perfect roads,
great restaurants, beautiful country, plus the view from the top is just
too much. With some guys from work I've also gone up Alpe d'Huez a few
week-ends ago. I managed to get a Gold certificate for the fifty mile
"Ride of the Falling Leaves" last month, which again was a great
morning out, I was so surprised. However, despite all of the this the
clubrun is something very special. I've had some great mornings out, okay
I've got dropped off the back, pushed off the back etc but I've done Box
Hill a couple of times and people have been great always watching out.
We've done some great Peleton riding even in the fifteen miles an hour
group and putting in some extra "loops" because it was just
sooooo good (sorry about that Tim). The Addiscombe is like a big box of
chocolates ... there is something there for everyone,
we've all got our favourites, it's great to share around and we keep
coming back for more.
So that's my year. But this time last year I wasn't really sure if I
was going to do the Ventoux or even cycling, let alone join a club, I
didn't even know what a compact road bike was let alone own one!
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