Simplicity

Siberian winds swept in across Britain today with snow and ice, and Britain as usual scuttled back under it’s duvet. Well, those that were searching for the perfect excuse anyway. The media and anyone with free time wondered why we collapse like a house of cards in a force one breeze when a couple of inches of snow arrives but quite frankly what’s the point?  Local councils need invest in no more than a bit of grit because snow only really affects us for about two or three days a year. Occasionally. And it’s hardly at the Siberan levels from whence it came. Then the snow will melt to a million digital memories on facebook and the media interest will go back to Credit Crunch Britain or Celebrity Come Big Brother or something.

I still cycled to work today. It’s 11 miles from Worthing to Brighton. It was a little slippy in places but great fun in todays winter wonderland and one of the genuine rewards for cycling through the seasons. Here’s the thing; work colleagues were amazed that I’d done something so ‘mad’ and ‘lunatic’ today. Yet I cannot think of anything simpler than getting on a bicycle whatever the weather and riding it. Some may consider me an ‘experienced’ cyclist but what is that other than yet another excuse thrown up by people to deny themselves the simplicity and fun and beauty of cycling themselves? I take the view that if I can do it, anyone can do it. Even Professor Stephen Hawking could probably give me a run for my money on the morning commute with the right stabilizers and strategically placed bungee cords.

I was greeted with looks of horror as I said goodbye to work colleagues this afternoon in my cycling gear and believe it or not I’m going to do it again tomorrow. This is not because I have something to prove, this is not to gain any moral high ground or show off any eco-credentials (I also own a Vauxhall Corsa so we can forget that). I do it because it’s a bewilderingly thermodynamically wonderful piece of piss. As simple as snow falling.