Apologies to the few people here who are facebook friends!

Next Sunday, I'm due to ride a 78 mile charity bike ride - only started riding last August so I'm still pretty new. Anyway, did my last long ride to prepare yesterday, had an awful time on and off. The weathers been so rubbish I'm roughly a month behind where I should be in terms of fitness.

Now, I'm writing a blog (hardly anyone reads it, it's more for my own benefit) and link to it on fb. I'd hoped for a bit of encouragement to be honest. One comment is there, from my own dear father. Basically (and I'm paraphrasing) "43 is a silly age to take up cycling, potter to and from work if you want but other than that, just stumble quietly into middle age". And now I feel like a bloody teenager again due to thoughts like "god, he doesn't get it, man :@"

Rant over.

John, I'm 26 and I'm already sick and tired of the constant bleeting against people taking up new challenges and hobbies. It's either a mid life crisis, or they're too old etc. Apparently none of us should strive to better ourselves and take on challenges.

One of my FB friends had a rant about people posting up jogging / cycling times. Screw it, I put mine up because there was a time I couldn't run up the stairs, let alone 10 mile.

Mind you, I'm getting a motorbike next month so what do I know :D

Hope you don't mind me responding gently on FB.

Have you taken the stabilisers off yet? :P

I've read everyone of your blog entries so far (I think). I don't always see them on Facebook, but Google+ never fails to point me at them. I don't envy you, I haven't ridden a bike for about 15 years(!), but I do wish you good luck!

I've read a few of the posts - I just tend not to comment on much. I was going to last night but it was super late and on my phone. The correct cycling response to your current woe is to say "MTFU and get on with it, you'll be fine!".

I bought a bike last year.  I'm loving it.

Doesn't he realise you'd never give up the chance to ride a bike? (mj)

Anyway, i do see the posts on fb but i hardly say anything about anything on there anyway. But keep going!

Cheers Dan - nothing like a challenge to get you going and this is going to be a good one! It's the concept of quietly slipping into middle age that gets me. Fuck that for a game of marbles! I've seen your running updates - keep it going!

Stabilisers? Shit, I didn't think of that!! Where's my spanner...

MTFU is pretty much what I was telling myself yesterday! Wise words, Milky!

How's your bum holding up now?

I'll have you know I'm a happily married man!!

You lot are the best :D

Except Xen. He's a cunt.

In ribbons, but it's hard to tell whether that's down to the cycling or the buggery.

Stop bleating and just ride ride ride (YJ)

I love my bike, and I do enjoy my bicycle as well (YJ)

Good luck old man :D

If you want to do something new, you're not hurting anyone, not going to jail over it, and it makes you smile, who gives a rat's knackers what anybody else thinks about it?

I say..GO FOR IT GRINNING ALL THE WAY! :-D

And when you get back from your trip, tell everyone who didn't have anything nice to say to GET BENT!

:-)

Did your father stumble quietly into middle age?  If not, you should remind him of that fact.

43's a perfectly good age to start doing something like that. People do fitness stuff well into their seventies! And did you read about that woman who ran a marathon a week for an entire year? She's 42.

So yeah, go for it. Or keep it up (yj), whichever is more appropriate, and good luck :D

Besides, better to do it now, than to never do it then regret it when it's too late.

You are a real life MAMIL!

:'D

Yes I am, and proud of it!!