I have discovered a performance-enhancing training method!

It's called the Off Season (or Offy. Or more simply, Having a Break).

This may come as a revelation to many of you, as at did to me. The theory goes, that if you ride and race your bike all year long, day in, day out, well ... you get a bit sick and tired of it.

All those long car trips across Europe (they sounded so exciting in the brochure), those alleged ‘hotels' on tour and those race meals that often lead to taste bud suicide; they can wear you down, man.

You start racing negatively, get poor results and, perchance, develop an attitude problem.

(An exception to this rule would have to be the famous Russian, Viatcheslav Ekimov, über-domestique for Lance Armstrong. He finished 15 Tours de France, won Olympic Gold & Silver Medals and was crowned Russian cyclist of the Century in 2001. The pro peloton rumour mill tells of him riding an astounding 1000km/week for over five consecutive years. When he retired aged 40, he lasted a month at home and then took a job as assistant team director).

How can we avoid this potential problem - the attitude problem, not the 1000km/week Russian hardman problem? Answer: put your bike in the garage!

Or, as I did, get it confiscated by the fine gentleman who gave it to you in the first place, and go to Bali.

It is nigh impossible to ride in Bali, unless you're experimenting with weight distribution on your 50cc motorbike and taking the three kids to school, all sans helmets.

One is almost forced to sleep, eat, walk, swim and purchase Bintang Beer singlets for the whole family. It took a lot of getting used to, believe me, and was a world away from what I was doing exactly three years ago.

Back in October 2007, I ventured to my first international bike race in les Herbiers, France.

It was a famous time trial, and served as the last race of the season for all the professional men and women there.

Following the Sunday afternoon race, we sat through a rather protracted sponsored prize giving and nodded politely as the race directors made interminably long speeches.

Finally, the riders scarpered off to a strange German meal in a marquee (wait, weren't we in north-west France?) and the lads started hitting the turps.

There began a multitude of interjections and announcements of what these Europeans were going to do on their Offy. The Latvian thought he better go back to see his wife and two (or was it three?) children.

The Kazakh was popping pills, smoking cigars and throwing lascivious looks to anyone holding eye contact for greater than five seconds, male or female.

The Czech rider was going to return his first love, cross-country skiing, and await a renewal of his contract for the following season.

The Italian was finally going to Barcelona to stay with his girlfriend - a model, podium girl and Spanish beauty. They were gong to spend a LOT of time in bed, he informed me. Bastards.

EU stereotypes aside, all had goals in common - there was to be no riding for at least six weeks, no weighing themselves, and finally, they would indulge in all banned substances (of the food variety).

I was shocked! I had barely been riding for six months and it was inconceivable that one would risk a decline in form by putting the bike in the cupboard.

But then again, if my season started in March and I'd slaved through 2-3 grand tours, maybe slogging though over 100 race days for the year, I'd want to work on my short game too. Even if it was boules.

Most Australian professional men return home to the great summer we have here. They have some time off with their families and maybe treat the fans at Noosa or Cronulla with an appearance at those criteriums.

And if you're un/lucky enough, your team will be racing Tour Down Under.

The double-edged sword that is racing in mid January would be a tough call for many pros, Australian and European alike.

Despite being an extraordinary opportunity to race in Australia's only ProTour event in front of the tremendous crowds that this fabulous race always musters, it makes for a long season indeed.

And there aren't many windows in the year when a professional cyclist can eat Nutella out of the jar and challenge his son to Wii tennis in the living room with any hope of victory.

(Bridie O'Donnell, an Australian professional rider with UCI Team Valdarno, is Back Page Lead's cycling columnist - and editor of her own blog, Bridie.com.au)