Some of us took advantage of lock-downs and working from home and got on our bikes more often than ever while others among us let things slip a bit and are looking and feeling a bit bigger due to a pandemic bulge.
This humorous list - not intended to be taken literally or seriously - will help you identify if you're one of those cyclists who now needs to step up their effort and get back into the shape for the events in the year ahead.
The signs for cyclists...
- People keep asking you if you’ve been following Operation Transformation.
- Friends you haven’t seen for a while warmly greet you with the line: “The bit of weight suits you”.
- Your friends don’t make eye contact with you anymore when discussing training.
- You only recently learned you can rest stuff on your belly.
- You can have a bottle of wine or six pints and have no hangover the next day.
- You can have a bottle of wine and six pints and not have much of a hangover the next day.
- Your cycling friends’ brows furrow when you discuss the longer, harder sportives you might ride this summer.
- You’re puffing and panting so much putting on your cycling shoes it feels like part of your spin.
- Staff in bike shops give you the “it’s hardly worth your while” look when you say you want a lighter bike.
- You’re partner has begun patting you lovingly on the belly or bum in a way that says: “I didn’t marry you for your body anyway”
- Somebody sees you with no shirt or T-shirt on and is clearly stunned and frightened.
- You constantly think your brakes are rubbing or you’ve punctured.
- All your cycling kit has suddenly shrunk in the wash.
- Nobody (as in, not one person) believes you when you say all your cycling kit has suddenly shrunk in the wash.
- You get dropped out training and you’re so far back you wonder if anyone will see you if you got a taxi home.
- You get a taxi home.
