Monday, May 12, 2008

Failure of 52-year-old legs during pushbike odyssey


James (17 this month), whose infatuation with carbon-fibre-forked racing bicycles has lapsed of late, decided yesterday to take the Revolution Continental out for a spin. Foolishly, I agreed to accompany him on the trusty Orbit for the 15-mile thrash up to the Eshaness lighthouse and back.

The weather was fantastic (again; in the words of Alistair Reid's wondrous poem Scotland, we'll pay for it, we'll pay for it)and initially I was content to lead the way, my SPD cleats working, I thought, well, and James's computer-game-induced unfitness telling. Until he stood up on his pedals and effortlessly surged away from me on his much more limited racing ratios, grumbling that he couldn't actually ride this slowly.

And it got worse. I don't remember the last rise to the lighthouse being that steep. It reminded me of some of those dreadful hills on the Fife side of the River Tay, or on the Carradale road: heart breaking. Or in my case, leg-defeating. I had to get off and walk, cleats or no cleats. Oh, the shame of it!

Never mind. We stoked up on coffee and cake at the Breiwick Cafe and I made it home without further pedestrianisation. Back to the motorbike!

2 comments:

Catherine Nelson-Pollard said...

At least you tried.

I'm trying to work out which is harder work, a country bike ride with a 17 year old son or in my case a mega shopping marathon in the city with a 17 year old daughter, who of course has to check out EVERY single shop.

Both require staying power and stamina. Think you got the better deal as it didn't involve using the parental credit card every nano second.

alice b. toeclips said...

i PROMISE if we do get to do a ride that it won't ruin yr 52 yr old legs. My legs are also 1955 models.
Til soon...