Le Mistral
We are the dry land experts of surfing the wind waves coming off the corn fields.
Powerful. Gusty. Musical in and of itself as it moves through a packed subforest of trees and shrubs, moving bristling as they talk, rather than in harmony. At first, it may seem chaotic, irregular, and without rhythm. And if you ride with headphones in, it certainly will stay that way. But removing my earphones and paying attention solely to nature’s soul, it becomes ordered, regular and rhythmical. Riding Le Mistral is a way of talking with Mother Nature.
Down in the valley between the climbs the wind required, and asked for, my full attention. I was reading the grass, the birds and the leaves, next to the road. They told me the story, and they all illustrated the lines of the air particles moving rapidly across space and time. I saw the wind visibly through the curves of their wind or the ripples in the grass. It felt similar to scenes in the movies where Oppenheimer is depicted seeing the math appear in various physical forms as he goes about his day. Or Jonathan Larson is seen reading the rise and fall of music in the physical world around him.
As I surfed along, I read the gales waving over the tall cross and leaving fallen debris swirling mini tornadoes; I could anticipate its arrival. Prepared and ready. I was fully present. I never felt endangered, nor did she want to threaten me with the wrath of her gusts. Though only so long as I listened to her demand for my attention. I braced against the crosswind, with my shoulder dropped and core active, as the bike rode along, leaning against the wind. On one occasion, I, too, almost got ambushed by her force, but I was present in the conversation. I was flying along—I was sailing. The effect of my Scope wheels catching the wind.
If I didn’t, I would end up like the van driver being hauled out of the adjacent ditch. They got caught out, as their discussion with the wind waned.
So I was battered, but I could (almost) foresee the arrival of the sharp snap. And that catch, when it is well anticipated, puts a smile on my face. So, too, did the flicker of a view, which overlooked the valley and hills behind me. I was riding fast, sailing the wind as I have already said, when something told me to pump the brakes. This view was protected by a wall that blocked the view. I pulled an about-face to turn and ground up to the viewpoint; a most picturesque frame within a frame.
I listened without earpods until I got onto a lengthy climb… even then, when playing the weekly Cade Media The Wild Ones, I turned the volume down, and thus the distractions in my mind. I wanted to listen to the soothing, swirling wind. I found it mesmerising and far more enticing to listen to than any music or podcast playing into my ears. This time, instead of trying to drown out the draining hum of the passing car, I was amplifying the sedating whisper of the low-resonance breeze and the bustle of the surrounding leaves.
These moments are powerful when I’m conversing and listening to my sixth sense, and to my gut. Instants when I’m inexplicably drawn to an image like this. It’s soothing and turns down the volume. That’s what it feels like to be present. I suppose that’s the beautiful effect of the stormy conditions.
The point is, when nature can be as violent as that, with wind close to 100km/h, it is crucial to be present and remain in conversation with yourself and the world around you. Then she will demonstrate the beauty in her danger. That is thrilling when feeling her energy, like the birds floating in the sky, riding and feeling the wind, being directed, not directing—just as I feel on the bike in these conditions.
At that moment, I realised... I was a part of nature today. And that is what it means to be livin’. Le Mistral. We are the dryland experts for surfing the wind waves coming off the cornfields.
In 2026, I’m supported by TORQ Performance Nutrition and Lake Cycling Shoes.
Dedicated posts are in the works on why I have used their products, before they started supporting me. For now, they’re incredibly supportive brands that go beyond the marketing. They keep it real.
*You can get 10% of Torq Performance Nutrition Products using the code AVTPO10
here. #NaturallySuperior.
Amazing Tom! Loved it, thank you!