This is how you can tell you've become addicted to riding in Richmond Park

1. Every ride is a time trial

Even when you say you're going to take it easy...

2. Your clockwise and anti-clockwise Strava times define you

"I just clocked a 17-50, and that was with a headwind on Sawyer's as well."

3. You start analysing the wind speeds

Because that 6mph south-westerly breeze is the optimum for a fast RP lap.

4. You begin to use slang terms for the various gates

"Where we meeting? Roe, Ham or Charlie Sheen?"

5. You've got specific Richmond Park kit

There's no such thing as too aero for Richmond Park.

6. Your phone is full of pictures of deer

They're not your pets. But they might start to feel like it.

7. You start measuring distance in units of RP

When your friend asks if you want to go on a 90km ride to Brighton and you start calculating how many laps of RP that is.

8. Even your other rides start going via the park

The park is a great place to go for a weekday spin after work, or even if you're pushed for time on the weekend. But when your London-Brighton and Box Hill routes start going via a couple of laps of the park, you know you might be a next level fan.

9. Dark Hill/Broomfield Hill is your Alpe d'Huez

One in the same.

10. You feel like you've joined London Dynamo/Kingston Wheelers/Dulwich Paragon

Room for one more lads?

11. Your friends hassle you about lap times

You don't need to smash the descents, or even need correct spelling to get a fast time round there.

How much faster is an aero bike?