I'm a bit bored of mountain biking.


I've said it.

I'm a bit bored of mountain biking.

Well actually that's a lie. I'm not. It's just that sometimes I'm so single-minded in my MTB persuits that I'm ignorant of not only other forms of cycling, but other outdoor activities also. In Wales I could have gone fishing, taken a sea canoe out or climbed a mountain or two. But no; I lugged 14kg of mountain bike 350km for a single ride. To be honest I'd have been just as happy hiring a shonky old MTB with slick tyres and undertaken a circular road tour underneath Cadair Idris. The roads were free of traffic and the views stunning. Instead I circled a hill amongst some trees. All a bit bizarre and single purpose wasn't it? I could have been anywhere.

Now I'm not going to go out and buy a road bike and some lycra. To me there's no fun cycling along routes frequented by muck aways trying for a twelth run that day, or 44 tonne artics. I used to cycle on roads as a hobby, but the increased traffic density rendered that obsolete as a form of entertainment for me. Hats off to those that perservere with it though. Braver souls than I.

Yet I'm still attracted to buying a bike, but neither mountain bike nor road bike be it. A hybrid or cyclo cross bike? A cross would be interesting, and is a possibility. I also like hybrids, as that is what got me into being a mountain biker in the first place. Nope, what I'm going to do is see how the t-shirts sell this year. If I can manage to make a go of them, i.e. sell more than one a month as I do at present, then I'm thinking cargo bike. I've not seen one around here, yet everywhere else I go they are there in the background. Little home-made ice creams, coffee to go, or advertising; all done on a cargo. They look hard work but fun at the same time. You're not going to use them to cycle to Brighton, but instead local haul. I think they're brilliant.

Yup, if my job goes belly up, as it is likely to do, then I'm not going to seek some temping job in the smoke. Done that, no fun there. Nah, I'm going to look locally and see if i can cut it self-employed. Bollocks to it all say I.