Hazelblackberry's questions

I asked in my last post if you had any questions for me or suggestions for a subject you’d like me to post about on The Journey.

Thanks to those who have responded so far. Please feel free to add your questions or post subjects in the comments of the original post or below this one.

Hazelblackberry said, “You’ve mentioned elsewhere that as a child you weren’t specially ‘sporty’ – how did you get into bike riding? What do you like about it other than the fitness aspect? How do you prepare for and endure the long rides that you’ve done?”

(The photo I’ve posted is me on my current mountain bike in India in March 2005. Click on the picture for a better view.)

Thanks for the questions. I certainly wasn’t into anything sporty at school. I’d avoid taking part in sports wherever possible. In fact, even as far as cycling goes, I didn’t even learn how to ride a bike until I was 16.

I’m not sure what it was about cycling but once I taught myself to ride, I bought a cheap, department store bike. It was a 10 speed ‘racing’ bike that was as heavy as they come. I started riding it whenever I could and even rode to and from work from time to time. At that stage I was working as an apprentice chef at a hospital about 12 km from home.

After some time I heard about mountain biking and I bought a very early model mountain bike. I didn’t take it off road but I did find it more robust for general riding.

In early 1987 I read that a group of people were going to cycle across Australia, a distance of 4500 km. For some reason the idea intrigued me and I signed up. I bought the best touring bike I could afford and started training. Later that year I set off on the first of my 5 crossings of Australia by bike.

One of the things I like about cycling is that I can push myself without effecting others. I’m the one responsible for how well I do; no one else. It can be a great sport for loners (like I can be at times) as well as offering great socialising opportunities such as the group rides I enjoy on Saturdays as well as the team events like the rides across Australia, Canada and India that I’ve done.

The training for big rides is mainly based around doing as many kilometres as possible. It involves the discipline of riding alone as well as riding with others where possible. Riding with others in a group is a great motivator and a great test. It’s when I’m riding with others that I can see how well I’m doing. Am I meeting my targets? Am I cycling fast enough? Am I strong enough to get up the hills we encounter? Training for the bigger rides has taught me a lot about life and about myself. I know that if I’m not ready, I’m the one to blame. Being fit enough for the task is down to me. I’ve learnt that I need to take responsibility for my actions. I can’t blame others or circumstances if I haven’t held up my end of the bargain. I’ve also learnt the value of working steadily towards a goal and putting in the hard work that no one sees to prepare for something worthwhile somewhere down the road.

I really enjoy commuting each day by bicycle. Instead of waking up, rushing around, getting into a car, cursing the traffic and arriving at work frazzled, cycling puts a barrier between home and work, gives me time to myself and energises me for the day. On the way home it puts a barrier between work and home and helps me to leave work at work. I love my family and I love my job but cycling helps me to keep them somewhat seperate rather than having my mind in one place and my body in another.

Posted by Rodney Olsen

Technorati Tags: Cycling – Sport – Bicycle

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