I love cycling.
I own a Corratec Dolomiti, a relatively unknown road bicycle manufactured in the UK. It's made of alloy and weighs close to ten kilos but the parts that come along with it is unbeatable at its price point - definitely value for money.
Just the idea of speeding along unbounded, burning the miles, brings a rush of excitement and gets my heart racing just a tad faster.
Initially, going is slow, navigating the pedestrians and traffic. But once i break past a certain point, there's just no stopping it. slowly i pick up speed, the wind, at first a small whisper in my ears turn into a full-on howl, reflecting the thrill I'm experiencing.
I shift gears, upwards, upwards again. The derailleur shifts the chain to the smaller rear hubs. I now have to pedal with more effort but am rewarded with a greater speed to pedal distance ratio.
Faster, i want to go faster.
I keep low, body almost hugging the top tube of my roadie. Occasionally I will glance up to keep track of my surroundings but when i'm speeding down an unending stretch, I put pedal to the metal and watch as the tarmac becomes a blissful blur. I hear a low delightful humming as the chain meets the gear teeth with quiet precision.
It is in this moment, my heart pounds from exertion, I perspire, my thighs start to have the familiar tingle and my face is flushed from the chill wind.
Yet I notice none of it, my mind is purged, I am free.
Eventually I'll tire sufficiently, I sit back up, find the right balance and cruise along, riding my bike with no handlebars. There's the primal satisfaction of speed and then there's another, subtle source of pleasure. My routes take me past beautiful vistas. They're illuminated skylines of sky scrapers, serene views of nature, tracks of road where ocean meets land and the old facades of buildings of an age gone by.
And when you're speeding along, your mind is clear of all distractions, you see the sights in all their glory and it leaves you in awe.
For that brief period, you have no problems, no hardships, no sadness, no fear, nothing. Nothing but pure unadulterated joy.
