Why do I call myself a lazy cyclist?

Why do I call myself a lazy cyclist?

Firstly, it’s because of my physical limitations.  I’ve got a less than helpful combination of arthritis and anatomically deranged  feet (I laughed when the doctor said that, because I thought she‘d made it up, but it‘s a real term).  Sometimes it hurts when I pedal, particularly if I’m clipped in and I can’t move my feet around.

I’m on some strong drugs now but in 2008 I was in a bad way.  I noticed I was in a bad way at pretty much the same time I turned 40 and got made redundant.  That wasn’t the best month I ever had.

By 2009 I was doing better  but I wasn’t sure how much better so when Ruth and I went on a cycle tour to Scotland to do the Glasgow to Inverness Lochs and Glens route, I decided to conserve as much energy as possible by not pedalling  whenever possible.

This worked especially well after leaving Balsporran Cottages one morning.  It’s a B&B pretty much at the top of the Drumochter pass and I rolled the 4 miles downhill into Dalwhinnie before I met Ruth who had double backed to see what I was up to.

I find the harder I pedal the more my feet hurt, so I try to pedal only as much as I need to.

Going up hills I need to pedal a bit to overcome gravity but I’ve discovered that by pedalling magnificently and brilliantly slowly I can get up most hills without getting off.  I am sometimes overtaken by tortoises but that doesn’t really worry me too much, because I get to notice things as I go very slowly past them.  I sometimes feel as if I am getting to know sheep one at a time as I am going past them.  I am in their world for long enough to take in their individual features and personalities.  Fast people don’t do this.

Another reason for my slowness is that I don’t like to suffer when I’m out riding, so the less effort I put in the less it hurts.  This had the added bonus that I don’t sweat much so when I’m commuting I can ride to work in my work clothes which can prove useful as I usually set off 10 minutes late anyway and by not having to get changed I just about make it to work on time.

So that’s why I call myself a lazy cyclist.