We are one: mind, body and bike.
Seeking constant forward motion in pursuit of the endless horizon.
The only constant is this union; my wheels turning beneath me powered by the endless rotations of my legs, my tired body accepting the inevitable future and my fulfilled mind, relaxed and happy.
Very cold, dark and freezing headwind. Very happy to see the sunrise.
The world changes gradually, subtly, around you at cycling speed. You move over every inch and you are truly present in every high definition moment. And yet you often see little of it. The real blockbuster is playing in your head and in it the lead character overcomes every challenge and finds his zen in the solitude of perpetual effort.
Warming up and some unexpected company.
When you allow it to come, when you stop thinking about the ride, the route, the pain, how far to go, what to eat, why you are here, how much you love everyone. When you stop looking at the numbers on the screen and just ride.
You recede within your own mind and relax. Your place in the world becomes obvious.
At times like this it feels as though you are not moving anywhere. You are turning the world beneath your wheels. All power is with you, the world is yours to master and you can achieve anything.
Perhaps these are not the thoughts and feelings expected from a ‘social’ ride, but social has a new meaning these days. Individuals who don’t know each other and will never meet set out on their own lonely epics and shared their adventures online.
I began to warm up and enjoy it after 9 hours.
And why undertake such a challenge? Well what better ‘why’ than to share it? To hopefully inspire others to #rideFAR and experience their own serenity. Even better, to truly #rideforareason and enable others. The entrance fee to this epic competition is a donation to cycling charities offering education by cycling and cycling lessons.
We are all social but we are also all individuals. The world is yours as much as mine and I wish everyone the freedom to explore it and themselves.
“It will be tough, it will be long and it might get cold. But overcoming your comfort zones will be even more rewarding this time.”
Orbit 360
Singlespeeding the final 50km after the gear cable snapped. Big hills, a strong headwind, one gear.
They were right.
What a ride.
Andrew Hutcheson 
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