I was out riding on Friday morning, on route to meet the rest of the gang, taking in the morning air and the quiet roads when I realised not everyone gets the wonderful experience of early morning cycling. Whether your work/life balance prevents you riding in the morning or your commuting route starts and ends in rush hour, by not getting that early morning cycling glory, you are missing out on one of the wonders of riding.

The quietness of the empty roads, the slow movement of delivery drivers arriving at shops, the buffudled look you get from drivers trying to work out how early you must have left the house to be in such a rural place on your bike… All things I love experiencing on early morning bike rides. I often commute to work and when I work during the day I have to leave the house around 5am. It’s cold, it’s bleak and most of the time I’d rather spend the extra hour in bed. But once I’m out of the door and flying along the coast road, looking at the sea in the star light, I remember why I’m doing it.

I’m sure for many of you leaving the house at 5am is up there with sticking pins in your eye or as beneficial to a relaxed lifestyle as wrestling an alligator, but I urge you to try it. Maybe wait until the weather warms up a bit if you’re not too sure, but I promise you there is no feeling like an early morning bike ride; the wind, the crisp air, the open road. My early morning cycling glory.

Homework

Do you get to ride early in the morning? Do you love or loathe your early morning commute? What are the benefits of getting that ride done early in the day? Let us know below what you think of morning rides and if you are considering stepping up to the plate and tackling the hazy dawn sunshine soon. I’d love to hear your positives and negatives of morning cycling.

Photo c/0 Bryn Lennon/Getty Images