You can sponsor me at http://www.justgiving.com/Martin-Lally0
Of all the things I thought I might covet, I never thought wheels would be among them. However as I pedal along, I find myself craning my neck to get a lingering look at a fine pair of 700c racing wheels or standing out of my saddle to gaze adoringly at a particularly finely spoked, thin tyred, hybrid wheel, as it hums past me.
The problem is that my bike is a mountain bike, it is designed for well, mountains, whereas my ride is mainly on the road. Mountain bikes are robust, thick wheeled, bouncy with built in suspension to absorb the bumps and knocks off road. Fun, exciting and bubbly they are instantly appealling to your average red blooded male but lack a certain sophistication. I call mine Britney.
The road bike on the other hand is all wheels and finely crafted aerodynamic lightweight frame. Designed for speed, thin, willowy and devastatingly attractive they devour the road, their long slender wheels effortlessly converting rotations to road miles. In comparison my mountain bike is like pedalling a tractor uphill.
I should be averaging between 12 and 15 miles per hour on my rides but on my Mountain bike I am struggling to get to 10mph. I have been considering upgrading. However there will be some parts of the ride where an off road option is preferable. This is when the road bike's vulnerabilities show. Tempremental and very high maintenance the road bike cannot cope with variable terrains and those finely crafted frames and painfully thin wheels will bend and buckle at the smallest twig. She will also make you feel her pain - no cushioning or suspension means every jolt or bump is transferred to you.
So, my mountain bike may not be the most elegant bike on the road, she may take 40% longer to cover the distance. But she won't let me down when the going gets tough and she won't throw a tantrum at the sight of a few pot holes. No, there is more to a partnership than just appearances, my bubbly little mountain bike has got me this far and I won't cast her aside now, its me and Britney all the way to Leeds.
You can sponsor me at http://www.justgiving.com/Martin-Lally0
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