I am writing this post on Saturday afternoon. It has been prompted by welling emotions. What was the cause?
Bikes.
I am not your standard sports nut. I appreciate that each sport has its attractions and much effort is made to reach higher levels of achievement therein. However, there are many things in life I would rather be doing than some of the sporting events which are offered up as viewing/listening activity. Soccer? Okay I know the basics and it can't be avoided on the news here, so can gather the gist of the shenanigans of the round ball; but I'd rather be grinding glass. Tennis? This one has always bemused me; watching paint dry is more rewarding. I have watched it on occasions. I give it a chance each Wimbledon to try and win me over.
Paint still wins.
I ache for cricket though. It is not without pain that I advise you, here in the UK, the very home of the heavenly game, it cannot be watched unless one subscribes to one of those carbuncles on the wall. Highlights. One can watch highlights late at night. The entire Sri Lanka tour passed me by.
Now India is here. After Australia I support India. They haven't done a test match tour, I understand, since the year of my birth (1959), so this is big. All I can hope for is being able to tune into some radio commentary and keeping up online. (Scotland play cricket, but it is new to them. There was a recent three match contest in Glasgow against The Netherlands, but the decider had to be abandoned due to inclement weather. Now who'd have thunk it...?...)
So what is there available to move the heart of this armchair sportster? Well, Rugby Union - but that's for winter.
Today though, along came the start of the Tour de France. Lots of fit fellas on pedal bikes. Travelling through beautiful scenery in the process. I love cycling. Not just as a sport per se. I actually love cycling. Here's the proof.
Those were the days. Had to have the seat and handlebars professionally corrected, due to height challenge. That bike took me literally hundreds of miles. Through most weathers. Everywhere in Edinburgh, no buses for me in those days. I did smack a few buses in the rear end when they drew too close. Mostly though, I had only good times on the many hills of that reekie city. Then there were the endurance rides. On three occasions I took a run down to Galashiels and back. A round trip of about 60 miles. There was a trip to Dunbar and back with a group of work-mates one Summer. Took me a while to recover from that one as it inevitably involved racing. Strictly friendly, of course...
That dear bike had to be sold prior to my emigration to Australia. I was sad but it had to go and I know it went to a good home.
Thus it was, whilst watching the opening stage of the Tour, taking place in Yorkshire (?!) with beautiful views, seeing the legs pumping, the lungs heaving, I was moved for the briefest of moments to shed a tear or three. I could feel myself shifting gears and threatening the hills. The adrenaline pumped in time with those legs.
I could no longer ride like this, even if I had my trusty steed back. By gum though, it brings many happy memories...
Bikes.
I am not your standard sports nut. I appreciate that each sport has its attractions and much effort is made to reach higher levels of achievement therein. However, there are many things in life I would rather be doing than some of the sporting events which are offered up as viewing/listening activity. Soccer? Okay I know the basics and it can't be avoided on the news here, so can gather the gist of the shenanigans of the round ball; but I'd rather be grinding glass. Tennis? This one has always bemused me; watching paint dry is more rewarding. I have watched it on occasions. I give it a chance each Wimbledon to try and win me over.
Paint still wins.
I ache for cricket though. It is not without pain that I advise you, here in the UK, the very home of the heavenly game, it cannot be watched unless one subscribes to one of those carbuncles on the wall. Highlights. One can watch highlights late at night. The entire Sri Lanka tour passed me by.
Now India is here. After Australia I support India. They haven't done a test match tour, I understand, since the year of my birth (1959), so this is big. All I can hope for is being able to tune into some radio commentary and keeping up online. (Scotland play cricket, but it is new to them. There was a recent three match contest in Glasgow against The Netherlands, but the decider had to be abandoned due to inclement weather. Now who'd have thunk it...?...)
So what is there available to move the heart of this armchair sportster? Well, Rugby Union - but that's for winter.
Today though, along came the start of the Tour de France. Lots of fit fellas on pedal bikes. Travelling through beautiful scenery in the process. I love cycling. Not just as a sport per se. I actually love cycling. Here's the proof.
Those were the days. Had to have the seat and handlebars professionally corrected, due to height challenge. That bike took me literally hundreds of miles. Through most weathers. Everywhere in Edinburgh, no buses for me in those days. I did smack a few buses in the rear end when they drew too close. Mostly though, I had only good times on the many hills of that reekie city. Then there were the endurance rides. On three occasions I took a run down to Galashiels and back. A round trip of about 60 miles. There was a trip to Dunbar and back with a group of work-mates one Summer. Took me a while to recover from that one as it inevitably involved racing. Strictly friendly, of course...
That dear bike had to be sold prior to my emigration to Australia. I was sad but it had to go and I know it went to a good home.
Thus it was, whilst watching the opening stage of the Tour, taking place in Yorkshire (?!) with beautiful views, seeing the legs pumping, the lungs heaving, I was moved for the briefest of moments to shed a tear or three. I could feel myself shifting gears and threatening the hills. The adrenaline pumped in time with those legs.
I could no longer ride like this, even if I had my trusty steed back. By gum though, it brings many happy memories...
Nice post. I have many great memories from biking myself. I'm still biking, in fact heading out in a few minutes. Thanks for sharing! :)
ReplyDeleteHari Om, Yam! Happy times =) I'm fond of the contraptions myself, tho I must confess the charms of The Tour have eluded me. But it's in Cambridge tomorrow, so maybe I'll catch a dose? Indigo x
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic weekend it must have been in Yorkshire, and how great too see 'Le Tour' so well supported in my motherland.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Gail (enough of a bicycle nerd to have enlarged your photo in an unsuccessful attempt to determine the make of your old bike!)
I think you will find that India have played test match tours in England many many times since 1959!!!
ReplyDeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteDoug and Indigo - thanks guys; hope that ride was good D and I...you must!!
Gail - Raleigh!
LV - straight from the EBC site; though I did think it odd myself as I know they have certainly toured here... the clue could be in the wording (and remember this the menopolyxinaemic at work here) which I now cut and paste; 'India play a five-match Test series in this country for the first time since 1959 with Trent Bridge, Lord's, the Ageas Bowl, Emirates Old Trafford and the Kia Oval all hosting Investec Test Matches.'... so on reflection perhaps previous years have been only three-match tests, but tests nonetheless. Sigh.
It was actually one of the things I really missed about the Netherlands: cycling! I had a pretty good bike back there, but sold it prior to moving. I now have an old bike. It does the job, but it is nowhere as good as my old one. So, guess what I will be saving up for!
ReplyDeleteMind you, the Tour de France is not something I want to watch. Too many children's shows on television were cut short during the summer months by those men on their bikes. Bad memories!
Great post, Yam. I can't ride a bike and am a totally unsporty person, but can occasionally get caught up in a sporting occasion. Having no TV here, I've just caught glimpses of the |Tour de France online and can imagine how it brought back memories.
ReplyDelete