No I have not gone bonkers and taken up Rhythmic BMX Dance for London 2012. Nor have I been practicing my fixie-hops from the film ‘Quicksilver’ (although I have added the video to the end of this post as an extra special treat!) I want to disclose a personal secret to you all today. Something that (I don’t think) anyone else knows about me. My Recovery Dance.

Before we get started let me pop that bubble of hilarity in your brain that thinks I perform some sort of voodoo Maltodextrin dance when I get home from a ride to ensure my body is ready for the next journey through the pain cave. This is a wholly more enjoyable kind of pastime that has become a part of my daily commute and something that I look forward to. You see, roughly half way along my journey to work there is a descent. It’s not Alpinically steep or rangey and there is no need for me to stuff the local newspaper down my jersey, but it comes at just the right point in the ride to spur me on. And it does have a lovely view over the sea most of the way down and heads to a dead-end for cars so there is little to no traffic. After a fast ride through a town high-street and up a naughty little climb that has become my Strava nemesis this descent feels like a treat. Not relaxation. Not a rest. Not easy. But a treat.

Sometimes I turn the bike up to 11 and hammer it down the slope. Sometimes I zig-zag from edge to edge. Sometimes I free-wheel with no hands punching the air. All because nobody can see me. To add extra spice to something already nice, I regularly get treated to some absolute corkers through my iPod [Ed: other fruit based music makers are available]. My old, bashed up iPod seems to know the exact point I’m entering ‘The Dance Zone’ and skips to something wonderful. Whether it’s a tune from my youth, an old classic or something a bit more off the wall. They always seem to suit my mood and then enhance it.

That descent always spurs me on for the next couple of Strava segments (it’s an addiction don’t you know!?) and I arrive at work ready for the world. Knowing that I had this article in me I’ve kept a record of the songs that have played along that descent over the last couple of weeks. Below are a few of the absolute best. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

…and the ‘Quicksilver’ bike dance… get practicing!

and now especially for Malachi and to show the rest of the world how we do Hip Hop here in the UK… Professor Elemental…

KTRSD

Stevie