Humbled, just completely humbled

Kieran_Burns

Most mornings I cycle in I pass this elderly gentleman who's riding an old Dawes steel tourer. He's your archetypal 'old farmer' type: wellingtons, big green cords (or old green trousers), cardigan and a flat cap if it's cold. As I go past I give a cheery "Good Morning!" and he shouts a "Good Morning!" back. It's all very polite and friendly, and as I say, happens most mornings I cycle in.

Well, this morning I catch up to him just as he's turning into a narrow country lane (single track tbh) and need to wait behind him as there is a lot of oncoming traffic. I let him know I'm there, and when the traffic is past I figure it's a nice idea to have a quick chat and introduce myself.

In the conversation I ask him where he cycles to (hugely nosy I know) and he points to the farm just ahead on the left "Just going there from Long Whatton" he says.

Hang on... Long Whatton?

"Which way do you cycle then?" I ask, thinking that I've seen him in Kegworth

"Oh through Kegworth and past Sutton Bonington" he replies

"What up Whatton Rd?????" says me in disbelief.

"Oh, yeah.. every day"

Now the thing is Whatton Rd is simply a series of hills. Proper hills. It is genuinely no exaggeration to say the only flat bits are at the top and bottom of the hills. No, really.

http://goo.gl/maps/hbA6B Is at the Long Whatton end.... follow that hill up.

Now this one: http://goo.gl/maps/PVzfu just before you get to Kegworth.

So there's this guy, on an old steel tourer and he must be in his 70s in wellingtons and full farmer kit doing this ride in each direction every day. I live on that road and whinge about the one bloody hill I have to do.

Oh, I forgot to mention. He's only got one leg.

The left leg is missing from mid-thigh.

Humbled, completely humbled.

meursault

Generation before us lot, much, much harder. Chapeau to him.

rubertoe

People of a certain vintage are just doers, no complaints, just get on and do it without the nead for the constant moaning.

daviesee

rubertoe wrote:

People of a certain vintage are just doers, no complaints, just get on and do it without the nead for the constant moaning.

Perfect example:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-st ... e-17730428

""He once saved a woman from a fire, and after checking she was ok, he simply got on his bike and carried on riding.

"All his cups and trophies, he gave away. It wasn't that he was ungrateful - he just didn't need any recognition.

"When they unveiled a plaque in his honour someone asked me what my dad would have said. I told them he wouldn't have turned up."

In awe. :shock: :oops:

greg66_tri_v2.0

Yeah, I've been done over by a one legged oldie in the mountains in Canada. It's completely unfair. They have a *lot* less mass to haul up the slope. It's like weight weenyism gone mad, I tell you.

Show offs, the lot of 'em.

mpatts

It's also, in my experience, a bit of a 'country folk' approach to life. Just get on with it.

menthel

Buy him a pint from the lot of us!

davis

Erm if he's got one leg, and he's in wellington(s), how does he manage a pedal revolution?

(Hat to the guy, by the way).

Kieran_Burns

Prosthetic left leg btw... I guess there is SOME muscle power there (from half a thigh). You wouldn't know there was anything (ahem) amiss from looking at him cycle along.

I'm going to have to climb the hill to home out of the saddle and NEVER ever whinge about it again. Ever.

davis

Oh ok, fair enough. The way I read it I didn't think he had a prosthetic. (Which I thought was a bit odd).

Proper hard-as-nails.