Meet Cliff: In 2012/13 my doppelganger was moonlighting as an electrician; family life is hard and so expensive – we were down to only having smoked salmon twice a week.
Unfortunately, more often than not, payments came in different guises, but live chickens were not going to pay the bills or keep me fit. Fortunately, on one occasion my alter ego was offered a 1980s retro Peugeot Road bike, AKA a drop handle.
At the same time, I had been working at a large corporation for a boss who was an incredible support to my rugby-playing days, a guy who annually arranged the Tour de Taff. An event that started in Cardiff Sophia Gardens, up the Taff Trail, over the Beacons to Brecon Rugby Club. I had ridden my first edition in 2011 on a mountain bike!
The governor convinced me to ride, telling me that the Tour was a casual 50 miles on a cycle trail, conveniently witholding the fact that 35 miles of it are uphill! The seed was planted, as this was, to date, the longest and most challenging ride I had attempted.
The retro racer was duly serviced; the honcho even pumped up the tyres with the correct PSI. Off we went on a few local climbs near the office. The gaffer was instrumental in giving me so many important lessons in cycling; from the word cadence, to improving pedal stroke, to the benefits of drafting that Christian has so skilfully mastered. Also, the efficiency of a pedal stroke, keeping the legs close together, and having the seat at the correct height.
Think about being in a squat position and trying to walk up the stairs – the pain you can imagine is an exaggerated version of having the seat too low, or even the bike too small. All of this will vastly improve the cycling experience.
I learned the hard way, riding with an Eddy Merckx gear setup (11–21 rear cassette) up the local Welsh climbs were near impossible. However, foolishly riding alongside the gaffer on his slick, sexy Italian carbon, I hung in for dear life and the cycling bug bit hard.
Using “twin funds” accumulated by my lookalike, I started to spend on cycling apparel, partially brought on by the ridicule of wearing orange gardening gloves during a group ride. I would like to say this was the only negative instance of group ride culture, but it can be an experience. Try it, you might like it, It’s not for me, and like Duncan Bannatyne, “I’m out!”
My dear boss once asked me, “Are you starving on your rides?”
“No, I always have my dinner before I ride.”
Did I mention I have reduced hearing in one ear and don’t always catch what is being said? He was asking if I was using Strava on my ride! Ah well, nobody is perfect. I will say that this has never slowed me down and will never be an excuse for not seeking out the maximum in life.
Being the top guy he was, he went on to explain what it was and how to use it. It quickly became an essential part of my rides.
I fell in love with a route that was exactly 40 km, split with a long climb up one valley onto beautifully wild commons, then dropping down at breakneck speeds into the large Welsh, often misunderstood, town of Merthyr Tydfil. The last leg is a beautifully surfaced road home, where you can ‘big ring it’ and ride in the drops for mile after beautiful mile on largely wide-open, quiet roads.
By now I had upgraded to a Specialized Allez. I considered this an expensive bike, only to join group rides and have it singled out in front of the peloton as “a nice, reliable, entry-level winter training heavy bike.”
By this point, the nails were firmly being hammered home on group ride culture.
The concept of Strava led me onto a ride that shaped my love of cycling in ways I would never have imagined; it helped me deal with painful grief and showed me how to dig myself out of life’s holes. Trust me, I have had my fair share.
Not wanting to punch down too hard on the weekend warriors, there are some benefits to group rides. You get to ride in formation and learn the true advantages of drafting and increasing overall speed. The weekend warriors will push you to limits you thought were reserved for seasoned pros, like doing a Sunday morning 50-miler over some serious climbs, all while hearing about the latest expensive group-set…!
Cycling, for me, shifted around a time when a very close family member was suffering from a terminal illness. I found myself cycling to hospital visits, which was a good way to clear my thoughts, reflect, and put life into perspective. Life is hard.
On one of these rides, I discovered, through Strava, that I had beaten a Welsh international rugby player by a mere second on a climb. As fate would have it, I bumped into the very same player. As an icebreaker, I mentioned my Strava success.
“You’re two stone lighter than me,” he mocked. “How about signing up to this?” gesturing to a charity bike ride he was organising. A real twist of fate—how could I refuse?
It turned out to be an event where I made lifelong friends, riding from Essex to Barry Island Pleasure Park in the slow group – The Laughing Gang. I discovered on this ride that you ride yourself fit over the duration, and not to be too hard on yourself if you haven’t done the miles in the saddle. Yes, you will feel pain in places you wish you hadn’t, but the lasting memories are well worth it every ache!
This fuelled my passion and gave me a love for cycling, and, in part, a peace offering with group rides. Cycling has obvious benefits—from fitness to weight loss—and from personal experience, it can help clear your thoughts and take you away from everyday problems, giving you that important headspace.
