Be Patient With the Bike
Peter Reid’s advice to Faris Al-Sultan in What it Takes

I’ve had my bike a little over 2 years, and have put 5176 miles on it. That equals about 50 miles per week. When I was looking into to buying a road bike, I asked for advice in a cycling forum. One of the comments I got was that it takes 3 years of consistent training to get strong on the bike. This has proven true for me, so far. I feel so strong on my rides now. Hills that used to make me feel wiped out just six months ago, are no longer difficult. Today I tackled Boreland Hill 2 hours into my ride; and, while I wouldn’t call it easy, it wasn’t overly hard. My average speed on this hilly ride was 16mph. It’s a really good feeling to be rewarded for my efforts in training.

click pix to enlargeIt was 78 degrees and sunny today – perfect weather for my 3 hour ride. I’m usually too focused on my cycling to notice the pleasant countryside. I was half way through the ride when I glanced up and saw a llama in a pasture along Orange Grove Road. I stopped and snapped a photo of it with my phone.