Story 13: It's all relative really

One of the many things that crossed my mind while we were pedaling from Glasgow to Edinburgh last Sunday was that although I feel very much like a not-so-serious cyclist, I might not look like a not-so-serious cyclist to some folk. And I guess that's made me think about how it's all relative really.

Take the guy we passed somewhere between Dennistoun and Cranhill who was cycling along in the throng without a helmet on. I guess he might've thought I was pretty serious about cycling when he saw me and my shiny white helmet bobbing along. I just thought he was a bit of a numpty for not taking safety on his bike seriously. And, I guess, just because he's not wearing a helmet doesn't mean that he's not seriously passionate about cycling.

And then there was the elderly lady we passed somewhere between Coatbridge and Airdrie who was cycling steadily along on her vintage bike amongst what looked like a few generations of her family. I guess she might've thought I was pretty serious about cycling when she  saw me and my shiny new road bike fly past  (OK, that might be a slight exaggeration...). I just thought she was brilliant for managing to cycle 47 miles in her twilight years on a bike that she's maybe been riding since she was a wee girl! Oh what seriously interesting stories from the saddle she could probably tell! And, I guess, just because she's a lot slower than she used to be doesn't mean that she's not seriously passionate about cycling.

And what about all those people that we passed somewhere between Avonbridge and Linlithgow who were walking; pushing their bikes up the big so-and-so of a steep hill? I guess they might've thought I was pretty serious about cycling when they saw me managing to pedal past. I just thought of them as fellow cyclists who were either knackered or just couldn't find the right gear or the right amount of energy to take this particular part of the challenge on on their bike. I was also thinking that they could easily have been me; I might be managing the hills a wee bit easier than before, but it's still more than likely that there'll be times ahead when I have to jump off my bike and walk with it. And, I guess, just because they had to do that during this particular event doesn't mean that they're not seriously passionate about cycling.

But what about all of those cyclists somewhere between Glasgow and Edinburgh that passed me?  For every one of those cyclists that I passed there were very many more who passed me. I guess I was thinking that they were the serious cyclists. When they passed me as I plodded up the hills, or when I was getting in their way (I'm not quite there with the cycling etiquette in a crowd yet!), or when I was falling off my bike in front of them, or when I was shouting - like a big kid - as I whizzed down the hills "Aw Man!!! This is SOO awesome!!", I wonder what they were thinking of me? Maybe they were thinking that just because I did all of those things, it doesn't mean that I'm not seriously passionate about cycling.

So, it's all relative really. I describe myself as a 'not-so-serious' cyclist because I'm not interested in sticking to any set training plan, or trying to break any records, or being really knowledgeable about some of the technicalities of cycling. But being not-so-serious about those things doesn't mean that I'm any less serious about enjoying cycling than anyone else. Yup, we might be bigger, smaller, older, younger, faster, slower, fitter or safer than our fellow cyclists but most of us have a shared serious passion; for simply getting on our bikes and going for a ride...