We're on the road to nowhere ..

What happens generally is that we jump in the car to drive ten miles then sit on a static bike for an hour, sweating, getting nowhere. Unless you do it, it's hard to understand why we don't just cycle to the gym and back. There are many reasons ..
It's dark when we're not at work now and the local roads are narrow with no cycle paths; we live in the commuter belt and it's chuffing busy all the time; we've had a six inches of snow, our economy has ground to a half and we have black ice everywhere; it's cold and damp and my drivetrain needs constant attention that I am unwilling to lavish after every mid week ride; we have nowhere for a hamster wheel, the list goes on.
Spinning is good because it allows someone else to devise an hour's exercise that your body is not expecting and has to adapt to. We may mix it up, may spend an hour out of the saddle, may climb, may sprint - whatever teacher says really. We have the lights out, perhaps some strobes to make it feel like we're going faster than we are. We are also in the company of other sweaty and (very) shapely people :-) Whatever reason people turn up to class for, we would all be less fit (and larger) if we didn't attend so I guess it doesn't matter how hard the individuals are working - the fact that we are there is enough. Indeed, the two 'individuals' above have just finished the same class ! Mmmmmmm

What spin also does is allow me to concentrate on technique, without which I would be on the sofa already. After 30 years playing rugby at a reasonable level, I damaged the medial meniscus on the right knee, had two operations, recovered and then returned to rugby for nearly ten more years before I decided to stop and concentrate on non-impact sports like golf and mountain bikes. My left knee has deteriorated during this summer and I have been on the list to see the specialist since September. I saw him last week, had x-rays, it's the same problem but no bad damage in there and I should be in for an Operation during the first part of 2010. I should be good for skiing in March with luck.

Throughout the four months of limping when i walk, riding the

bike hasn't hurt and hasn't caused any more damage - go figure that one ! A recent circuit class left me nearly crippled for three weeks, I have to play golf with a trolley at the moment because the walking is tricky, but riding the bike has been fine.

I am wearing my winter coat at the moment, a rather cuddly layer of sub cutaneous insulation, but this will reduce as the weather improves and we can get out a bit more (and safely). The results of the spin class generally is that i resemble a large self-basting turkey when I'm done. If I could just cut out those cakes.

We will keep hitting the spin bikes for the next few months and hopefully get back on track with the weekly night rides when this ice melts.

I've just collected the meat for Christmas and we have a house full. We are then off to the New Forest for a few days before the New Year and plan to get out on those bikes all being well.