Hi there roadies,

I started road cycling 6 years ago and it's been a singularly significant influence on my life. It became the seminal event that led to physical, emotional, relational and professional improvements in my life. If you've ever seen the old 1991 movie "City Slickers" (starring Billy Crystal) you might recall the following dialogue between Curly and Mitch:

Curly: You know what the secret of life is?
Mitch: No, what?
Curly: This.
Mitch: Your finger?
Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and everything else don't mean ****.
Mitch: That's great, but what's the one thing?
Curly: That's what you've got to figure out.

I've discovered that cycling is my "one thing". I need it to nurture and maintain my physical, spiritual and social health. Does that sound too lofty? Is cycling just one of many things for you that are important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle or is it singularly important? How significant is your cycling in terms of influencing the overall balance in your life?

Very briefly, this is my story. I was physically suffering from hypertension, mood swings, depression and a bad marriage 6 years ago. This spilled over into my professional and family life and made me emotionally abusive and unprofessional towards my colleagues and children. A friend convinced me to join him and few others in a regular Saturday morning bike ride. Five months later I had hammered out 3,800 KM on my 23 year old MTB and I was hooked. I was also happier, fit, performing better at work, back in love with my wife, enjoying my children and I found that people actually enjoyed being around me again. I totally understand that cycling is not a panacea for all your troubles. However, it's been huge in my life. I'm fifty now and cycling friends, cycling tours, cycling gear, charity rides, cycling books, training, etc., are a huge focus in my life and I'm always looking for ways to combine my passion for cycling with all the other pursuits and interests that life throws at me.

What's your "story"?