I haven’t been out for a ride for a couple of days now. My last ride was a 6 mile round trip to visit some friends. I’m feeling guilty. How can I call myself a cyclist if I am not out riding? Let alone call myself a cycle commuter.

I work in a school so I am now on summer holidays. Being a private school I get an extra long holiday, so I have already been off work for two weeks. So I haven’t commuted for two weeks. I promised myself that I would use the summer holidays to increase my cycling, get fit, lose weight, put more miles in etc. So far I haven’t. I even had ideas of going cycle touring for a few days. Put the bike on the train and head up country a bit. Just far enough away so I couldn’t duck out and go home. But I have put it off under pretences of the weather being a bit funny, or not having panniers. Excuses.

So what’s stopping me? I could go out for a ride right now. Ok, it’s currently 10:40pm as I write, but my bike is downstairs in the hallway. My kit is clean and neatly folded in the wardrobe. My lights are…my lights are…where are my lights? I think they’re in a rucksac downstairs somewhere, last used as torches at a music festival the other weekend. Excuses.

The excuses need to stop. I need to get out and ride.