Bye Bye 28.18km: When a Familiar Cycling Route Becomes Too Familiar

RetiredCormac

57 minutes ago

2 min read

Pre-Covid, I was a weekend lycra warrior. I’d suit up, have a big breakfast, stuff my pockets with food, bidons with fluids and be regularly out on my bike before 09:00 for a 3 or 4 hour cycle most weekends.

Post-Covid, working from home through to retirement I moved to more regular weekday cycles. When the weather is behaving I’ll be out on my bike for a short cycle most days.

I settled on a familiar cycle route that I’ve now got very used to - here are the stats;

Distance - 28.18km - so generally just over an hour
Elevation gain - a comfortable 177m
Route - out and back - so covering the same route twice each cycle
Frequency - Strava tells me that I’ve ridden this route at least 200 times, including 36 times in the last 90 days
Local Legend - 10, zero KoMs (no surprise there)

There’s a lot to be said for familiarity. I know the roads, I know what to expect, and I can get my head down, settle into a rhythm and enjoy being out in the fresh air.

Riding the same route also gives me a useful benchmark for my fitness. I can compare times, how the ride feels, and how quickly I recover.

It all seems pretty good — or so I thought.

The problem with familiarity

The problem is that familiarity can breed complacency. I’m still watching the traffic and keeping an eye on my position on the road, but I’m not necessarily taking in the scenery. Instead, I find myself riding on autopilot, drifting off into my own thoughts.

And there have been too many reminders that this isn't a good idea.

Complacency. It’s not good - if you want to stay on two wheels.

Too many times - one of the following has happened.

Clipping the same bush that leans into the road as I go through Salcey forest
Was quick on the brakes and flicked right to avoid a parked van in Hanslope village
Nearly went into the corner of a Range Rover on the approach to Salcey forest

None of these incidents resulted in an accident, thankfully. But they’ve made me think about what I’m doing, particularly as most have happened on uphill stretches when I’ve had my head down.

On a positive note - I haven’t fallen off in a while.

Time for a Change

I think it’s time to switch from my road bike to my touring bike.

The thicker tyres, a more relaxed pace and a different route is what I need for the winter months.

I’ll still get my regular rides in, but hopefully I’ll spend more time looking at the world around me rather than simply ticking off the kilometres.

After at least 200 rides, it feels like saying goodbye is long overdue.

Bye Bye 28.18km.