Cycling The Road Less Travelled

You know you have been cycle touring for a long time when:

• You don’t think twice about waking up in the morning and putting on this shirt.

• You’ve had to reach into the laundry bag one too many a time to get something less filthy.

• Everything is itchy.

• You’re only mildly embarrassed when you take off your cycling shoes to go into someone’s house only to reveal this. (You can’t tell from the picture but the toe is in much worse condition then the sock).

• You’ve forgotten there was a time you didn’t have grease stains from your bike chain on your legs.

• You don’t hesitate to change out of your bike shorts and into regular clothes in a parking lot between two cars.

• You’re concerned that a full 500 gram box of cereal for breakfast won’t be enough for the two of you, so you also buy two baguettes and a block of cheese.

• You’re right. A full 500 gram box of cereal isn’t enough, so you devour the cheese and baguettes and then start looking around for a little “something-something” extra to top it off…a few pastries perhaps.

• You get stopped by other tourists in Pitigliano who want to know how far you have cycled, stating “It must be a long way, your legs are huge!”.

• After being stopped by tourists in Pitigliano who want to know how far you have cycled because of the size of your legs, you check the mirror and realize that your head and upper body are now dwarfed by the size of your thighs and calves.

• Even if you don’t really “need to go”, you go to the bathroom because a) the toilet is clean b) the toilet is free or c) you’ve found a bush big enough to hide behind.

• You can pull off the road, get off your bike, quickly go the bathroom and get back on your bike all before the next car passes and do it without peeing on your cycling shoes. a) Obviously a girl thing b) We all have personal goals, who are you to roll your eyes at mine? c) I’m pretty sure that when we go back home to reality and start working again, someone is going to make me regret admitting to that one on the internet. Fair enough.

• You look like bloody hell, but you’re smiling from ear to ear.