Lessons to my future self

1 Fast-forward to a carbon bike

Consider this a message from your fitter and wiser future self: road cycling is a gloriously slippery slope and you’ll be addicted in no time, so be bold and invest in a carbon bike straight away. Like many new cyclists, when I began riding to work I opted for a cheaper aluminium bike, unsure how long my enthusiasm would last. But within two years I was cycling up colossal mountains in Tenerife and enjoying epic rides in the Brecon Beacons, all the while drooling after a lighter and stiffer carbon ride.

When I bit the bullet and upgraded to a £1,650 carbon bike, it meant I had splurged big sums twice in two years