ATGANI is an acronym for what many see as the worst kind of participant in any activity – All The Gear And No Idea.  Whether it’s in the world of sport, where one turns up with the latest kit, or in any hobby where top level stuff can be acquired through throwing more money at a supplier, these people are held in the opposite of esteem.

And by buying myself a team issue road bike, I am now one of those people.  My only defences are:

• it was a bargain
• it removes any excuse for poor performance, and means I just need to pay more heed to rule 5

Living in Yorkshire, I can ride the bike some pros ride on a route that was a stage of the Tour de France.  Rather than doing it in under 5 hours, I’ll be happy with 10 – excluding a decent stop for lunch – but it does hammer home just how unbelievable an athlete you need to be in order to be even a mediocre professional cyclist.

ATGANI – embrace the ridicule and get out and ride.