“But I was always a medium?”
~ Andy Lakes
Too cold. Too warm. I’m tired. My gear shrank.
If you’re looking for reasons not to go cycling, I have lots. The list grows longer every year. I’ve gone from commuting, socialising and racing every day to maybe one spin a week, or even a month.
If it even occurs, that spin is slow, self-conscious and surprisingly difficult for my stubby little legs. My waistline has grown along with my list of excuses. I was horrified to find my newest club shorts somehow shrank in the post. “But I was always a medium?”
Eamon (Dom Perignon) Peregrine and his nifty De Rosa in the 2010 ICL Hill Climb TT
It’s a long time since the wonderful Vincent Supple nvited me along for a club spin in the early 90’s. I turned up in a tracksuit and runners to an incredibly friendly bunch of riders. A number of those faces I still call good friends. I was shown the racing group. They chatted away on their glistening bikes. I recall a youthful Ken Sherry boasting to Andre Engemann that he’d never go grey. It was time to set off. My allotted group was full of characters. All very nice people. It’s a sign of the times when we stopped FOR A CIGARETTE BREAK near Rathnew. Only the group leader remembered his box of smokes but he did offer to share. He’ll remain nameless. He was great craic. I fell asleep into my dinner when I got home.
Never having been blessed with any obvious cycling ability, I certainly made up for it with enthusiasm. They truly were great days. I’ve been fortunate to have seen great cyclists go through the club. Top domestic and international riders. And Brian Hayden.
There have been the amazing Kilkenny Hostel trips, when we were of what you might call a drinking age. Unforgettable nights if only we could remember them. The wonderful Wexford training weekends courtesy of Brian Kilbride and his Father In-Law showcased the Sunny South East and fine cuisine.
I keep promising myself that I’ll make a grand return. That’s when those sneaky excuses pop up. It’s twenty years since I last pinned on race numbers. And I was probably dropped. My last group spin was the unofficial Old Boys Spin on New Year’s Eve 2023. I loved it. But still I didn’t turn up for the club.
Wexford February 2010; From the left: Rob Brown, Brian Kilbride, the tiny bust of Brian Hayden in his famous yellow hat, Seamus McDonnell (guest of Mr. K) and me, vomiting gently onto my bike.
I hit a significant number at my last birthday and got a wakeup call. It’s now or never. New handlebar tape, new gear cables, less chocolate. A few spins. Getting a bit further each week. Meeting and being encouraged by old clubmates while out and about. Then the WhatsApp message about the upcoming social spin popped up on my phone.
It caught me out. I have no excuse.
I’ll organise the rest of my week around attending. I’m sure Mathieu van der Poel will have put less planning into Milan San Remo than I will have to put in place to ensure I’m there on Saturday. Watch this space.
Myself and Brian displaying our post Covid restrictions smiles
