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Apologies, bit of a ramble and I'm pretty sure no one really cares but for the first time in 18 months or so, mentally I feel great and it's thanks to my bike so I thought I'd ramble away.
My road bike isn't particularly special or expensive compared to some but it is pretty much my dream bike - a custom sized Reynolds 853 frame with all the bits I wanted on it. It is very much *my* bike. It's probably deeply unfashionable but I don't care.
But due to my various illnesses and depression it hasn't been ridden nearly as much as it should have been. Then my weight got to the point that cycling was hard and I lost all confidence of riding on the road. So the last few weeks and months have been just grinding it out on the turbo. Thing is the turbo doesn't give any sense of how nice a bike rides.
Anyway today I finally managed to get back out on the road and it reminded me just how much I love my bike. It just rides so nicely, for me it's perfect. When I spoke to the frame builder I said i just wanted something that was reasonably fast but not twitchy - just something that I could ride mile after mile and it would look after me. And that's exactly what I got - it's totally predictable but not at all sluggish and being custom it fits me like a glove too.
So 52.5km of riding later, 1087m of climbing (I'll admit, I did have I walk a bit of a couple of hills - they maxed out at 22% and I just don't have that in my legs yet) and a thoroughly pleasant route I am back in love with my bike and cycling in general. I just hope I can keep it up.
I do read reviews of the latest carbon monsters and have some curiosity as to how they would compare to my trust steel stead but I have a feeling if I had both in the garage it would be that which I go to 🙂
Nice one fella. 😎
Very cool OP. Ride on!
Great stuff, your bike sounds like the sort of thing I'd love, pictures please!
Brilliant. Keep on going, and bookmark this thread so if the black dog is nipping at your heels you know what to do to keep it at bay!
@anagallis_arvensis - I'll happily oblige, will take a pic when I put her back in the garage.
Very traditional but the only steel frame I've seen with straight steel forks. I'm sure there are others but I've not seen them.
Whether you walked or rode up a couple of hills is irrelevant, you still got up them 👍👍👍
Edited to add: 22% is ****in steep!!
@anagallis_arvensis - as per your request. JF Wilson Reynolds 853 frameset with Reynolds straight blade steel forks, Fleur de Lis lugs, Brooks B17 saddle with matching Challenger saddle bag and bar tape, Royce hubs with Ambrosio Excellence rims built by my own fair hands, mix of SRAM Force & Rival, Thompson stem and seat post, can't remember the bars - some fairly obscure Italian carbon ones, Favero Assioma pedals.
That's really nice, has the best tyres ever as well, shame they don't make them anymore!
Thank you. Really is my dream bike. I'm sure I could go 0.5% faster in a carbon number or something but this bike has soul.
Second nicest tyres imo. Wiggle actually has stock of these so ordered the other day. My favourite tyres are the old spec Veloflex Corsa but they get ripped to shreds on Peak District roads. Ride so nice though.
Agree with the posters above. Nice one.🤗
That's ace OP.
JF Wilson - our old house near enough backed into their shop. Fabulous old cave...
Great news OP - Your post has cheered me up a bit on an otherwise depressing Sunday evening.
I'm the same, depressed and anxious kept me off my bike mtb for 5 years, on holiday last year in Thailand I rode 1000km and loved it (5months so 25km a day) So I'm back on the hardtail and doing 3 rides a week. In one month my life is changing day by day. Big up to Mental health battles and if anyone wants a ride out near Skipton give me a shout 🤘🤘🤘
Rarrr - another 30km ish cracked out. Very windy and still managed to bump into 550m+ of climbing but it hurt in the good way - the I've achieved something way and no walking this time. Do need to keep it up but am rapidly falling deeply in love with riding again. Always been a roadie really and when I was (much) younger used to go for miles and not give it a second thought.
Living in Sheffield though I am truly lucky - such great roads but a handful of minutes ride from the doorstep and hopefully will soon get properly fit enough to really enjoy them. Oh, and I love my bike even more than I did on Sunday 🙂
Nice one fella! Amazing how occasionally just sitting astride one’s favourite bicycle with the sun shining on the road under your wheels and fresh air does wonders for the soul! Long may it continue!
Well done OP. I'm glad to hear you're enjoying your cycling again.
Nice one 😎
I broke away from the turbo for the first time in months this weekend for a pootle with my wife and loved it despite it not being much of a ride as such.
Never lost the love for my bikes though. I talk to them when I go in the shed, and even apologise to them for not taking them out, or if I accidentally kick one getting on the turbo 🤣
Hope your next ride goes so well 👍
I love reading this kind of stuff, OP, and you couldn’t have posted at a better time. I understand in a deep way he sorts of things you have described.
Keep your chin up and your tyres spinning!
Awesome work fella! It is nearly Spring so the riding should be getting even nicer, and then cafes should start opening. Have fun and the bike sounds top.