As I write this, I?m celebrating my 31st birthday. Happy birthday to me, and all that. And, as per every other birthday I?ve ever had, I woke up this morning feeling exactly the same as I did the day before. Certainly not feeling a year older, anyway. And although I?ve put my body through the wringer, in my head, I still feel like a stupid 18-year-old. Because I might walk like I?ve got a stone in my shoe, I might have to sit down to piss and I might grunt like a rapist every time I heave myself out of my favourite armchair, but I can still race a bike. Because age is just a number and I refuse to believe that I?m ?past it?. But how long have I got left"

Ok I know I?m not fighting for podiums in BSB anymore, but I?m being perfectly honest with you, I never really was. And although I have considered a British Superstock return, although I?d be prepared to put the effort in, I?m not sure if I?ve got the time, and I definitely don?t have the money. But that doesn?t mean I?m past it, does it"
Because you don?t need to be a BSB rider to be a bike racer. But sometimes taking a step away from reasonably high level competition to something a little bit less serious, feels like a failure. Even though it?s not.

I tell myself that I stopped racing at BSB to concentrate on road racing, TT, Ulster GP, that kind of thing. But when I look back at it, I feel as though the decision was actually made because of the fact that I couldn?t keep up any more. And it wasn...