“Numbers are the Universal language offered by the deity to humans as confirmation of the truth.” St. Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 354–430)

Numerology: the linking of the divine with the mundane through numbers. Based on ancient traditions, long discarded, it is often considered the realm of the new ager with a calculator and an unhealthy interest in the validation of coincidence. Yet strangely proponents of this belief crop up in the mainstream too, Pythagoras, to name the most well known.

Aside from self serving scientific debate, numerology is, to a greater or lesser extent, the true religion of the cyclist. Take a breath and be prepared to hold your outrage in. Strava. I recently met a cyclist (and liar) who claimed he had no interest in competition until struck by Strava. This all pervasive format of numbers has come to dominate the cycling world… for more information check Strava.

Numerology is the blue print, the very foundation stone of British cycling, all British (professional) cyclists work on numbers – that is to say against the clock. The extent of their interest in numbers, before and after the passing of time, is well documented. Cavendish at one extreme, Wiggins at the other.

The clock, the clock, that ticks off every pedal stroke and measures every part revolution, and compiles it in to a sum greater than its parts. In simple numerology – 1 represents the individual (the rider); 2 is balance between the wheels; 3 is interaction the rider, the machine, the road. Therefore: 1 + 2 = 3. It’s no measure of coincidence, it’s a measure of fact.

To further explore the true world where science and religion have no artificial polarities, but blend seamlessly we need a guide, one with wisdom and understanding born of experience… more to follow.

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