Back from an early morning bike ride, I have these observations:

1. People out walking or riding at 6am seem, on the whole, much happier and friendlier than people out later in the morning. Or maybe they’re gritting their teeth, and it just looks like they’re smiling. Or maybe they’re laughing at me and my struggle to get bike-fit.

2. If you have barely ridden a bike in your adult years, it takes some time to build up some bike-fitness. Also, you start to understand why people have bike shorts and/or padded bike seats.

3. Baby blue bikes with baskets are very cool. All those people on speedy looking racing bikes have nowhere to put their baguettes or their bunches of flowers, should they choose to stop in the village and purchase some. If there was a village.

4. If you ride at 6am you have the whole day to recover, which is good, because you may need it.