Serenity

There's something reassuringly calming about embarking on a 5+ mile bicycle journey at four in the morning, weather permitting of course. Personally, I like a gentle breeze and a spot of drizzle to counteract the body heat caused by strenous exercise. I believe it also helps you keep cool of mind and body as you mentally will your jellied thighs to keep pedalling up that bastard of a hill on that last mile.

If long push bike journeys are not normally your bag, then you should give it a try. You will inevitably curse your initial attempt long after your first breather as the sweat continues to seep from every pore in your body, thighs still of jelly as you contemplate hiring the skills of an expert scaffolder to keep you propped up. You think that's bad? Wait 'til you start aching all over the following day.

But as with every ongoing endeavour, it's something that you'll get used to with time. With any journey, the cyclist can be prone to certain stumbling blocks. Shit weather and punctures are the two most common problems encountered and while they are a pain in the arse, they don't present too much of a challenge, providing the cyclist wears waterproofs and carries a puncture repair kit. A less common occurence can be the snapping of the frame. This usually happens due to poor manufacturing standards or mind trickery. Shoddy workmanship needs no further explanation, but mind trickery is the phenomena when you momentarily believe that you still have the young, agile and considerably lighter body that you once had instead of your unfit middle-aged mass of fat and protein that you're currently hulking around. So, with that in mind, you approach a steep curb that you intend to mount and you decide that a bunny hop is your best option, after all, those two foot bunny hops that you did as a teenager on a BMX bike were of no effort whatsoever back in the day - ha! Twenty five years on and I'm sure I haven't lost that magic. Don't kid yourself, you'll end up tasting the dirt sooner than you think.

Other cyclists undertake their journeys out of neccessity. A bicycle is more cost effective to run than a car and at certain times of the year (I speak of those seasons that we laughably label 'Summer') are more pleasurable than using public transport. You know this type of cyclist as you see them every morning, faces as long as Sarah Jessica Parker because they know, that at the end of their journey they'll have to start work. They pedal towards their impending misery day in, day out and the music that they listen to tricks them into believing that a better time will come as they puff 'n' pant to Kraftwerks' Tour de France on their jog proof iPods. Of course, times never do change for many of them, but the daydream that we all share provides a pleasant distraction from the daily drudgery that we can all too easily succumb to.

The summer-only cycling family are a curious bunch. A nuclear package on wheels that carefully adhere to the designated cycle paths that run through the local park like veins in a gangrenous body. The kids will be adventurous by veering off the beaten path, not only to sample the delights of cross country two wheeled pursuits (four wheels if you count the toddler using stabilisers) but also from their curiosity to see what's behind that unruly hedge that the local council always seem to neglect. A lot of parents tend to hold their kids back from this innocent exploration as they can't be bothered to follow in their child's wonderment of life. These are the parents of the takeaway generation.

As the toddlers grow up, some may stick with their cycling hobby and make friends with other teenage bike enthusiasts. They do less cycling, preferring to hang around in packs, laughing and joking, looking menacing and sharing the odd crafty B&H behind their parents' backs. They talk nerdily to each other about their next eBay purchase of Shimano components and how their dads are hoping to buy them a vintage VW Golf GTI that will be customised with a walnut dash and an under body light that looks really cool and sophisticated which will be "...a sure-fire bird puller". They secretly detest their current push bike ownership status and will quite happily settle for a stolen scooter which will make them acceptable as members of an older boys' gang who in turn are currently trashing their own stolen scooters over at the local dirt track. Many will fail to realise that this type of materialistic coveting and gang acceptance will be a reccuring theme throughout their lives.

But a few good apples emerge from the teenage cycle gangs and develop a real love for cycling even when they reach middle age. They've had their wild nights of pubbing and clubbing, so they've settled themselves into an average happy family with kids and semi-D complete with south facing garden. This boredom is kept at bay by the occasional pleasure bike ride, some of whom take so seriously that they shave their legs and wear plastic cycling helmets as well as those horrible faux-Oakley aerodynamic shades that make them look like twats. Remember, safety first, if you're a responsible parent. They say the exercise is better than popping an aspirin every day to thin the blood. I wonder how many calories you'd lose shouting at your kids after you've found out that they've stolen another scooter?

I knew a bloke called Len who came from Swindon. He was over eighty years of age and he cycled eight kilometres on his Claud Butler racer to the nearest town and then back just to get the papers. Sure, it was something for him to do to alleviate the onset of retirement boredom as well as keeping his fitness levels up. He managed to do it every day only because he had retired in Spain where the weather sustained his life more than living in Swindon would've.

Well, there you have it, fun for all ages, from the cradle to the grave.

But back to the point of night time cycling. Not only is it more enjoyable due to the deserted streets, the actual lack of noise that you encounter (squeaky chain? WD40, mate) helps your mind focus on how free you feel at that moment. Free from the pressures, bad relationships and all the other bullshit that interupts your enjoyment of life. Think for a moment of all the injustices that plague the world - you could spend a lifetime campaigning against them - and in turn miss out on other stuff. Remember, shit happens so that you can appreciate the good things in life. And if I ever find out the author of that last sentence, I'll kill the cunt.

But one good thing for me will always be riding a push bike in the dead of night, carefree in the sense that I will not meet the plastic people that I usually encounter during the day and feeling as free as the two blokes from Easy Rider before they got shot. Yep, cycling on my way home to the welcome and open arms of a single rug and a setee. And a cat that purrs louder than a two stroke MZ. Strange as it may seem, I've rarely felt happier than when I'm experiencing the cycling solace through the back streets of south London.

The night time ride provides a glimmer of peace, a taster of serenity that we all occasionally seek and need. We all know what a valuable commodity serenity can be in these troubled times. If you're lucky enough to already have it, make sure you cherish every single moment.