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First ride with clip on bars Bars on, it was time for a spin outside. Riding up hill in the bars is also great if the hill isn’t too steep and you’re travelling fast enough to gain an aero advantage. Clip on bars, or TT bars, tri bars, doughnut storage extender bars. You know, just in case the clip on bars lead to a time trial addiction and an arms race to empty your wallet in search of aerodynamic marginal gains.

Sunday. The cyclist’s week begins when others end

Only when the choice is beyond your control do you lose the wheel because just like that you’re unhinged, loose, a first time water skier left flailing in the wake of the speedboat. Not that you have much choice, you’re broken and almost come to a standstill like the lead out man in a race up a mountain, their monster turn on the front over, they simply pull over and come to a stop. Riding after a 3 week break and very next day after a 24 hour flight from New Zealand was not wise and my body evidently hadn’t overcome the 11 hour time difference. A long slow ride home, head hanging low, the weight of shame, the lack of energy to lift it.

Avoid the major routes where possible, where traffic travels at 100kph and there’s very little of what you can call a hard shoulder to ride in. The road to Milford Sound – a beautiful drive although I’m not sure I’d fancy it as much by bike. The road to Mount Cook – a beautiful ride down a valley surrounded by imposing snow capped mountains and glaciers. There is a very narrow and well defined tourist route in New Zealand, one that’s hard to avoid if you want to see some of the beautiful landscapes.