It is a real joy to write a post that is just about riding a bike. Yes, there were challenges that were caused by my condition. Shall I tell you about them? No, not this time. This is just a really happy post by someone who forgot just how much he loved pure cycling. A little bit of help, a little e-doping. But, I will use the word again. Joy. The joy of riding a bike came back in Nice.
Flippant
So where had the joy gone? I always took cycling fairly seriously but also with the slightest smirk. I prepared well for big rides but start talking about 11-28 or 11-34? My eyes start to gaze over. Whatever is easiest for what I wanted. Climbing, so 11-34. Apparently. Perhaps I am a little flippant about it. I like naming my rides after songs which means a great playlist on Spotify, albeit getting a little long. Pretty uneven as well!
Looking Back
Once a year, with exception of the Covid lockdown period, the focus would be a cycling expedition with friends and these became quite big for me. The first was in 2018 for Liege-Bastogne-Liege, the oldest of the Classic Cycling Races. Then came the Italian Alps in 2019. The mythic Stelvio and perhaps my best climb, Passo di Gavia. I could never descend but that did not matter. Climbing was my thing and that day I just exploded. Until near the top. My blog entry about that climb mentions ‘limping’ on the bike and fact that my left leg was already significantly stronger than my right. The shape of things to come.
My last ‘unassisted’ climbs were Col du Tourmalet and Col du Soulor. Interestingly, I did not write about them. I did have to stop a lot. Col du Galabier in 2024 just did not happen. The legs were too weak. The next day, though, I swapped my standard road bike for an e-road bike and realised that I had to accept a bit of help to get the joy back. Just jumping on a bike and riding with friends. Nice was calling.
2025
So, after something of a fallow 2024, it was to Nice in 2025. In good company. That’s perfect. Food was also big on the agenda. I wanted to try Socca and also Pissaladière. Simple food that was perfect fuel for a good day of cycling. Pretty nice as well. Some nice wine as well. Rosé, of course! But the main reason for the visit was cycling and I was glad to have the hire of a Trek Domane e-road bike. Basically the electric version of my main road bike at home. Not too much to get used to but that little bit extra help for the climbs and awkward traffic.
Nice in Nice
Now, in the words of The Stranglers (and not their best song), it is Nice in Nice. It was also very hot! Heatwave. I am actually very lucky in that I am one of the roughly 40% of people with MS who are less impacted by heat. No-one really knows why. Another element of MS that is a mystery. Not something to think about too much, though. There was cycling to be done.
There came a small disappointment. One of the highlights of cycling in Nice is taking a stunning cycle path along the side of the beach. A beautiful path that was… closed. Sealed off for an Ironman competition. This meant going through the city to get out on to the climbs or the coastal path to Antibes. That was fairly stressful, a lot of stop/start and impatient motorists.
The Rides
The mechanical doping of my e-bike definitely saved my bacon in the town. I don’t have the power to accelerate quickly from a standing start anymore and stopping on slope is very hard work. That battery, though, the ‘e’. A massive assistance and something that helped me relax. Relax and enjoy my first solid climb for a long while. L’Aspremont. Not the hardest or longest climb but nice to get that feeling of climbing again. Even with a little assistance. Descending was also comfortable. I feel comfortable with the Trek, it handles well. Some well deserved Socca, some Pissaladière and a cold beer and I was remarkably content.
The next day was a cycle to Antibes along the coastal road. That part was open. Getting to it through Nice was a test of patience and I must admit I found it more tiring than the open roads of our climb. But it was worth it, such a joy to get rolling again. Without worrying about it.
Getting the Joy Back
Not worrying? Perhaps not entirely true? I am aware that I am physically not as strong as I was, and yes, I was concerned sometimes – when I had to get off the bike and walk it, I felt unstable and worried I would fall. But I didn’t. Instead, I got a lot of that old joy back. Of course, I cannot compare this to Gavia, powered with my own two legs. No electric boosting then! But things have changed and the first step toward joy is accepting that. And realising that it does not matter that much. I will take what I can from this adventure and let the sheer joy of just riding a bike totally take me over without worrying too much about whether my legs would do the job anymore. Just as it should be.