Well not exactly. I’ll be commuting by bike right up to the wire on the 23rd, but this was the last ‘ride’ in the social sense. Oddly enough it was also the first with this particular group of friends, organised through the wonders of Facebook no less!

I’ve always relished that about the biking world, the fact that friends I know well are known by their nicknames. Often I wouldn’t have a clue about someone’s real name, phone number or even what city they lived in. Yet staying in contact was never an issue as I knew we’d be at the same rally sooner or later.

Recently I’ve found more and more folk I’ve known for ages turning up on the great book of Face. I now know their real names and we’ve even started calling each other by them! Organising a ride out is that much easier with groups etc., so it’s all good – right?

Well maybe. I just can’t shake the feeling that something has been lost somehow. The romance of being part of a select minority? Perhaps not lost, stolen more like. We’re all online now and once you’re on……