The greens of summer turn to reds and browns and a million shades, that literally light up the autumn countryside, as everything gets ready for winter and long periods of darkness.
My Red Chilli WR1 is also a object of transition and fits perfectly with the context of autumnal change, with its chameleon colours.
Before every ride I do the same things. Albeit that I’m 56 years of age, I seem to be no different from what I was racing track and field years ago, lining up my shoes, with the socks placed across them and a lucky jacket nearby.
Yes, I know that many riders set things up with a 2.4 at the rear and 2.2 at the front – and we might try that next- but this test was all about the Scorpion XC M 2.2 and how lively and fun a ride it provides – and boy is this an exciting tyre.
Yes, my best fitness days are behind me and things tend to break or creak more easily, requiring repair. And so, as a consequence of this, getting out for long winter rides isn’t always a great idea or possible, meaning that when spring comes along, on occasions I’m playing catch up on the hills, as I battle to get that early season fitness that we dream of.
I love exercise and training – it’s part of who I am. I wasn’t unduly concerned at having a break; it’s probably done me some good in a way, but I knew that I needed to get back to daily training. Going for the odd short ride or a long walk just doesn’t cut it for me. I need to sweat and to ache and know that my heart has been pushed.
It’s quite refreshing to see world leading brands like Elite bringing back the ‘Full Metal Jacket’ cycling water bottle, with no plastic used in its construction. Following on from their Bio Green water bottles, this dynamic Italian brand are using their technical knowledge and expertise to help us older cycling kids to be greener.
Who could have imagined that a cycling trainer could simulate cycling so amazingly close to reality? Nowadays, technology has reached a very advanced level, and brands like Elite from Italy are leading the way. For example, look at the top of the range rollers that Elite have invented, fully interactive and is truly something amazing – I refer to “Nero interactive rollers”.
Summer cycling can hit and miss due to the unexpected weather. Thankfully Elite have developed interactive trainers like the TUO that aren’t too concerned about the rain. Using the Elite ‘My E-Training’ app with the TUO, you can cycle around the world when heavy sorms and showers stop your outside fun.
It gives me great pleasure to ride a bike in the forest, to hear the birds chirping, to enjoy the landscapes and to see other creatures which live in the wilderness.
Thankfully, we have lots of wild and remote and very beautiful paces here in Transylvania and Romania. It’s very important to treat nature as if it were our home; to keep it clean, to take care of it and not to exploit it.
As we reach the middle of the year, Larisa and Robert write about how their use of the Elite interactive trainers has prepared them and ensured that they’ve got early season smiles on the long cycling miles.
