Tock Tick

By Chris Jones

Like the Guinness advertisement from 1998, “Good things come to those who wait”. Probably. Tick, follows tock, follows tick (follows tock).

Do you wait for the right time to ride? Or do you ride unencumbered by time and conditions, start when you want and return when you feel like it. Or do you look at the hands of the clock knowing when you have to be home and go regardless.

I’m locked to time, I know when I can get out and roughly when I need to be back. Sometimes I’m joined by others, taking time out from their families and jobs, either early before most people are awake with quiet roads and quiet trails. Or late at night, after the chores of the day are done to unwind, find some singletrack and light it up. Sunrise or sunset riding.

Being constrained by time can be a good excuse to have a huge array of ‘stuff’, the stuff that makes riding fun regardless of the conditions. The right clothing is a must, a good jacket and gloves, maybe water resistant shorts, something to go under my helmet. And riding when time allows leads to the slow but steady growth of tools and spares in the shed, bikes that are ridden regardless need to be looked after because it can hurt to go to ride and find something wrong. Maintenance leads to quality time in the shed cleaning and tinkering.

There’s one thing that is missing from my list of ‘stuff’, something that Park or Pedros or Rapha or Evoc don’t sell.

A clock.

Tick Tock.