Freedom

“When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking.” — Arthur Conan Doyle.

Yesterday I took my bike out for a ride. This bike:

I carry it in one of the basement bays in our coach. This particular bike is a work of art. The frame was hand built by Colnago in 2013. The frame celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Master. A steel frame. A real bike.

I bought the frame back in 2013 and finally built the complete bike out in 2017. Look at some of the details.

All in, the bike weights just under 19 pounds. Nowhere near as light as my racing bikes but at this stage of life, I ride for fitness and pleasure, not for racing. The frame is an aggressive geometry for an older rider but the bike rides like a charm. I maxed out at just under 70 kilometres per hour yesterday on one of the downhills. Tracks beautifully and responds instantly.

Freedom.

There is nothing quite like the freedom that comes from riding a bike.

After being stuck under COVID-19 house arrest since the end of March, along with some of the coldest weather on record for this time of year, it was a true delight to get outside and to take a couple of hours to ride.

Beautiful country roads in our area. Perfect for riding.