I’ve just had my first bike ride in just over a year. Actually, my first off-road ride in four or five years. And I now fully appreciate how unfit I’ve become. That’s seriously unfit.

There are some positives though. Most importantly, I survived and didn’t resort to walking uphill. And my 21-year-old bike performed a lot better than the (twice the price) Kona. To be honest, even though everything had been checked, oiled and tightened, I’d expected something to fall off. The bike, that is.

Unfortunately, while the bike performs almost as well as it did 21 years ago, I don’t. I’m now going to have a soak in the bath and wash the insects off.