It feels like a good time to do a quick update about my cycling.
The great news for me is that since October, I’ve lost almost a stone without really trying, and that feels great. If I didn’t have a bigger appetite from the exercise, I’m sure I could lose more. I’ve gone from an ever increasingly sedentary life, where the only excercise was the few yards from car park to office to sandwich shop to one where I’m always trying to find time to cycle.
It started as a commute into work, but then I began using it for errands like shopping, and now I’m taking off for an hour or so at the weekend. As the evenings get lighter I can hopefully get out on the occasional evening too. The will is definitely there, it’s just finding time that’s tricky.
I can feel my stamina building - inclines that were once left me breathless I can now do with breath. A commute that took as much as 14 mins back in October, is now only 7. I’m arriving at work feeling alive and energetic, rather than sleepy and lethargic. The change from a budget mountain-style bike to the Globe Daily has helped a lot - I can go faster and further.
I do still love my Globe Daily, but if I was buying a new bike now rather than 3 months ago, I’d be making a different choice. Rather than a town bike or hybrid, I would’ve gone for a classic road bike with dropdown handlebars for more holding positions (whereas the Daily has only really got one) and a larger gear range. The Globe has low enough gears for hills, but on flats and downhills it always feels like there should be another 2 to go to. To that end, I’m keeping an eye out on ebay and local ads for a something with a Reynolds frame as basis for a little project…