There are many ways to measure success as a cyclist. You can be fit, you can get a few race results (possibly a win), you may have beaten a personal best. However, the true measure of success as a cyclist is in the Coffee Shop Story. Once you've been cycling for more than a few months, you will have begun to build up a base of experience where you may be able to contribute to the Coffee Shop Stories. But what is worthy of a coffee shop story? Is it setting a new personal best? A new max speed? Or perhaps a new max wattage? Unless you want the rest of the group to groan and moan as you open you mouth to explain how you are fantastic and that you surpassed your season goals and expectations (and most of them will not have), then you will stay away from raw data, numbers, and meaningless race results (e.g sprinting to 21st.....). These are far too disinteresting to be the point of a Coffee Shop Story (although throwing in a few numbers to help embellish the story is certainly advised.)
A Coffee Shop Story must create a snapshot of an epic day on a bike. You may have won, you may have lost, but like the numbers the result is only secondary. Usually the Coffee Shop Story involves the protagonist being the plucky loser, the survivor, the warrior battling whatever the day throws at them- crashing or nearly crashing would be a nice touch to add to the story here. Weather conditions should play a part. A howling crosswind or driving rain are far more entertaining than a calm and dry day. Only very occasionally does it involve the protagonist winning(but if you do win it automatically becomes a Coffee Shop Story). The Coffee Shop Story must involve you prevailing over adversity. You must have gone beyond your limit, and survived to complete the race/training session/sportif (It goes without saying that, if you packed the race/training session/sportif, then it does not enter your collection of Coffee Shop Stories, you weak human being). So never mind wattage, heart rate, speed, or results. The more Coffee Shop Stories you have, the better you are.
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St.Finbarrs Cycling ClubEst. 1938 Archives
October 2017
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