April 2023 - Easter Cycle Shenanigans

Firstly, I can't believe that I've not posted since Christmas. It's not that I've not been riding or even that I've not done anything particularly blog-worthy. But I have been practising using a new app that documents some of my rides. 

If you want to see how that looks, step over to Polarsteps and take a look. I've tracked a number of rides this year just so I could learn the best way to use the program. The latest of which is written below. 

I have also been spending a fair amount of time at Beamz HQ, which deserves a whole post of its own. 

But for now, let's chat Easter Holidays. 

Saturday - It's the first day of the holiday, so I deserved a huge lay-in, right? Wrong. I did get an extra 30 mins before the alarm went off, but I was already awake, so that didn't count. 

With one bike already loaded, I headed to Beamz HQ to pick up more bikes, bits and a Sarah, then headed into town for the Sporterium. 

Thanks to Ruth Mg, our home for the day has already been erected. So we quickly populated it with baskets, poles and an impressive fleet of Beamz bikes. 

Even though it was tipping with rain, We were already attracting interest before we had even finished setting up. 

And even though it rained on and off all morning, it was rare that there wasn't someone looking at the bikes, interested in the concept or wanting to volunteer. It was a brilliant start to the break - just what I needed. 

Tuesday - 'How many English heritage sites can we visit before our membership runs out?' 

Well, Jo and I decided to check out the new cycle provision on the FastJet to the Isle of Wight to see. 

We met at the ferry terminal, ready for whatever the weather threw at us, and then waited 30 mins for the next sailing. We were a little bemused to find that the cycle provision was squeezed between the seats, which was almost too small for my bike altogether. But once seated, we glided across to the island in a very short space of time and with no effort whatsoever. 

Having changed our plans a little, we didn't have an organised route, so gingerly, we approached the Squirrel trail. (This involved a few wrong turns and a needless hill climb, and I still don't know my way out of Cowes!) 

But it didn't take long to find the smooth tarmac of the trail, and we were very soon on the outskirts of Newport. 

We weaved through small roads and cycle paths, eventually finding a sign 'To the Castle.' 

Why do they always build these things on top of huge hills? Very inconsiderate of the Carrisbrook residents' methinks! 

We had to follow the guidance in the cafe, it would be rude not to! - this was our first stop after locking the bikes. 

The views were stunning. Especially as we walked the wall. Though I was pleased, we were going down rather than up the steps! 

Once we had found our way around the castle, we decided to take a route up the other side of the Medina to call in on the Queen. But, unfortunately, the weather was slowly turning against us. The darkening skies were promising rain. 

We turned off the cycle path too early, leading to a couple of close calls on the busy main road. But we got there in time for coffee, deciding we needed another day to make the most of Osbourne House. 

We were among the last to leave the site; we could hear brush and mop strokes behind us as we walked towards our bikes. The rain was now falling, so after donning wet weather gear, we took the chain ferry back to the other side and heroically fought the one-way system back to the FastJet. 

We arrived just in time to watch them close the gates and wave goodbye to the previous boat. If only we hadn't stopped for the last photograph! 

But the half-hour wait went quickly, and it was worth the wait. This ferry did have the new racks, and our bikes journeyed back to Southampton as comfortably as we did. 

Our journey was being tracked by Polarsteps throughout the day, so you can see roughly how things went here - 

https://www.polarsteps.com/SharonMerredew/6960095-awayday-iow?s=F5D30C74-DF84-451E-914C-91BFA0FD6B2D

Do let me know what you think. 

Friday took me to Fleming Park, Eastleigh, to meet with Jo from Pedaltastic and check out Sunday's Bunny Hop ride route. This involved two cups of coffee, a lovely toasted sandwich and a couple of loops of the planned ride. No photos this time. 

No resting here. Saturday was another early start, and this time a train to Winchester. We were going to find some more  British cycle-quest answers. The train journey was easy as always these days. The hardest thing bumping my bike down the stairs to platform 2 as the lift was broken. 

I had the carriage to myself for the first stop, and then the train filled to standing-room only. But it wasn't long before I got to Winchester to meet up with Jo. 

Jo showed me the easy route back to her house from the station then took me up a relatively 'easy' hill to the local shops. It wasn't till she came out of the post office that I realised she and her bike were suitably decorated for the day. 

After a hill that went on for at least two years! We were soon out in the countryside and heading to Alresford. 

We encountered a couple of furry creatures en route, which caused us to stop and shoot them (with a camera, of course), but it didn't delay us for long, and we soon reached our coffee stop. 

At this point, I should be inserting a photo of our lunch, but it was so nice, and we were so hungry, that my toastie was practically inhaled with no time to take a pic. 

So you don't miss out, I will insert a photo of their iconic and very delicious watercress scones from a previous visit. 

While waiting for our food, we looked up our first cyclequest clue to plan our next move. 

Once we had finished our meal, we searched for the toilet block to find the plaque that would answer all. 

On the way back, Jo pointed out a hidden oasis perfect for some swan-watching if you don't want to frequent the town's many cafes. 

We turned a corner and were face to face with the local watercress beds. No wonder the scones are so fresh. 

We paused at the top of another hill, this time to read of a spitfire accident involving three airmen whose training manoeuvres went wrong, causing all three to crash into the surrounding fields. 

This information was repeated in St Mary's Church, Itchen Stoke. A beautiful church on a hill that we had seen in the distance earlier and would see again shortly as we headed back to Winchester. 

If you look closely, you can spy St Marys. We paused once more to enjoy a wood carpeted with Primroses. Then headed to another hidden gem - this time overlooking the whole of Winchester - St Giles. 

It was funny to think it would take us less than 4 minutes to drop from here to that tiny statue in the city's centre. Another benefit of taking a bike.

We gathered the information we needed to complete this, my 5th cyclequest answer. Then headed into town for a final coffee before catching the train home. 

Much of the rest of the holiday has been spent at Beamz HQ, but that deserves its own post, 

Here are a couple of preview photos to whet your appetite.  

Goodbye 2022. It's been an interesting one.

Does the Christmas break encourage you to look over the previous year and motivate you to set challenges for the next one? I am not one for New Year's resolutions; instead, I plan to improve myself numerous times over the year, but I will spend time reviewing my achievements, counting blessings and thinking about all I have accomplished.

Rather than bore you with a long list of outings, I have put some photos into a video to show what I've been up to. 

Please forgive the dodgy editing; I am just learning how to use the software. 

Thank you to everyone who has joined me on my travels. I look forward to riding with you again this year. 

Happy New Year to you all. 

May the roads rise up to meet you and the wind be always at your back.  

October 2022 - Another seahugging milepost bagging adventure.

Just when you think you have left plenty of time to get to the station, you get that sinking feeling that can only mean one thing - a puncture! Worse, it's in the back wheel. Worse still, your friends are already on the train you expect to meet in 20 minutes. But after a quick explanatory text and the quickest tube change I've ever done, I was back on the road, hoping the dodgy patch on the only spare tube I was carrying would hold, as I didn't seem to have another. 

Three sets of red lights and two lift journeys later, I arrive on the correct platform just as the train's arrival is being announced. I count the carriages as they roll past as Jo's text had said, 'We are in coach three.'

As I walk up the platform, I look up to see a familiar smiling face. Jo and Babs had arranged their bikes, so there was just room for one more, and while I patiently waited for my heart to slow and my brain to clear, the train 'took the strain' as we rolled towards Bournemouth. 

We chatted the whole journey catching up on each other's news and discussing the day ahead. We soon reached our destination and set off towards the sea. Even though I had ridden this way before,  I used Cycle.Travel to plan the route down to the seafront. It took us a much quicker and easier route than I have ever used before, so we soon stood next to the pier watching the angry sea whip up foam as it met the shore. 

With the wind to our side and the sun in our eyes, we headed down the seafront, dodging stray children and long leads with tiny dogs at the end, all while wheel spinning on patches of windswept sand. It was great fun! We arrived in Poole in no time at all. 

We continued with the sea to our left until we ran out of the promenade. Then, turning right, we headed up the hill, away from the coast and towards Poole Quay. The road was busy with ferry traffic, so we were glad to find that the NCN 25 took us into Whitecliffe park with its newly resurfaced cycle path. Our first milepost was lurking just inside the main entrance. We were very impressed by its obviously newly painted colour scheme.    

We continued along the dedicated path, listening to the lapping waves and discussing the movement of a large catamaran as it crossed the harbour towards the docks. We decided to make the most of the view and munched on our sandwiches as we enjoyed the fresh sea air and unusual warmth from the sun. Once back on the move, we soon came across our second milepost. This one, designed by Andrew Rowe, was very different to the others as its 'fingers' pointed in three directions. 

We continued along route 25, keeping the harbour to our left for a little longer as we entered the old town. We received warm wishes of a safe journey from a cheery chap who stood outside the RNLI museum. Crossing a small bridge, we now had water on our right as we began to circle around a large inlet. 

It became evident that I had not checked the road surfaces of the proposed route as we hit a large area of compacted gravel that continued the entire length of Upton park. Thankfully, the overnight rain had not completely filled the puddles, enabling us to mostly skirt around them. Though it wasn't too difficult to ride, we were pleased to get back onto the next stretch of tarmac. As we rode past, we commented on the fantastic well-used children's play apparatus.

We continued around this inlet, detouring slightly to find the remaining milepost of the route. Unfortunately, this was right alongside a bustling road which sported a brand-new cycle and pedestrian crossing. Though you could just see the sea from this location, it was impossible to take a decent photograph. 

We had, by now, completed our loop and were poorly retracing our steps back to Sandbanks. However, we did take a scenic detour by the large RNLI training centre and marvelled at the artwork surrounding it. 

The sky turned grey as we said 'Hi' to the middle milepost once more, and as we paused to cover bags with rain covers, we noticed a beautiful rainbow overhead. Two minutes later, we were soaked to the skin! 

It didn't take long to get back to the main promenade, and this time, with the wind behind us, we sped back towards Bournemouth (at the designated 10mph). We soon caught up with an older gentleman on what initially looked like a hefty-looking trike, yet he, too, was gliding almost effortlessly down the path. As I turned to say good afternoon to him, I noticed he had a massive grin on his face. I couldn't help but mention how happy he looked. He told me that this electric bike was the best thing he had ever invested in. He was now in his eighties and had lost his driving licence to poor eyesight and his ability to walk any distance to his sore legs. Yet this bike allowed him to "access the world." 

He explained that this trike was so much better than any mobility scooter for him. "It's keeping my legs turning". This was a return journey from a morning in Poole, something he thought would never be possible again. 

He asked where we were from and where we were going. You could almost hear the cogs in his brain spinning with ideas. I left him pondering whether he would be able to get his bike on the train as I pulled up to meet Jo and Babs, who had been waiting for me to catch up. But as we got level with Branksome chine, I heard a cheery 'Cherio, safe travels' from my left, where I spied my new cycle buddy sat on the bench waving at us,  still grinning from ear to ear.  

     

The sun was back out, and the lure of chips was too great, so we stopped at a small cafe on the front. We waited quite a while as the chips were freshly prepared. Finally, they arrived in bags full of promise, but the portion size left much to be desired - think a semi-full McDonald-sized carton containing about 20 full-sized chips. This would not be my main meal of the day!

Thankfully the sun/wind combination had completely dried us out by now. So we sat in the sun for a while, enjoying the sights and sounds of the seaside, watching a detectorist scan the shore for hidden treasure. 

Jo decided to make the most of the unusual weather and headed off at some speed towards the sea. She returned with wet feet and a grin from ear to ear. 

We made the most of the tailwind, making our allotted 10mph speed limit almost effortless. Like the accompanying drifting sand, we quickly rolled past Boscombe pier and found ourselves in Southbourne in no time. It wasn't until we stopped here to look back that we realised how strong the wind was and began plotting ways to avoid a headwind on the journey back.

We reached the cafe at Heningsbury Head and decided to detour to the station at Christchurch as we could catch our returning train from there. Sadly there was no lift to the platform we needed, so we each carried our bikes up the stairs on one side and bounced down the other. We were also dismayed to find all the toilets were locked, and we had at least a 20 min wait for our train to appear. But as with every journey, getting our bikes onto the train was easy, with a clearly marked carriage and a dedicated area to store the bikes. I'm unsure whether we were chatting too much or just too tired, but unfortunately, no one thought to take a photo of our return journey. 

We parted company at Southampton station. I left Jo and Babs on the train as they headed back to Winchester. So with three more Millenium mileposts to add to the collection and just a short ride home,  today's mission was practically complete. 

October 2022 - End of an era or New beginnings?

So this week I led my 350th ride for Breeze, but instead of the celebration that it should have been, it was filled with sadness as it would be the last ride I would take for British Cycling. 

This week I have handed in my notice for all things British Cycling. I am no longer a Breeze Champion. No longer a BC coach. No longer a tutor of Level 1 ride leader training. 

Why? Well, it certainly wasn’t due to work pressures or losing interest. No this was sadly due to the current climate where BC needs sponsorship and sadly the only companies that offer such things these days are not the ones I wish to be associated with. 

I won’t go into detail here. Instead, I want to reflect on what an amazing journey I have had over the last 8.5 years with Breeze (who are sadly unlikely to see any of the money that they have bargained their membership for) 

Where do I begin? Firstly I want to remember the wonderful participants that have joined me on one of my 350 rides. Many I choose to call friends and many I hope I will ride with again. These ladies have so often made my day as we’ve chatted our way around whichever route we have taken to coffee. The number of times I’ve left home wishing I could have stayed in, but returned after my ride so glad that I have been. If you are one of those 1200, thank you for joining me, it’s been a blast and I’ve loved every second. 

Next, it's a nod to those amazing Champions I have had the privilege to work alongside,  previously coordinate and more recently train. Again, it's been brilliant working with you all, especially those in Southampton who have helped us build the number of women cycling around the city. Thank you. 

Then finally it is important for me to recognise and remember quite how far I have come - from thinking a ride to the common was a long training ride and a ride to town a step too far - to riding 100 miles around London (twice) and cycling from Windsor to Buck house and back overnight on numerous occasions - with lots of tube changing practice on the way. Without my Breeze training, I would never have even contemplated these rides let alone complete them. 

I've tried my hand at Moutain biking, BMX, cyclocross and track and learned that of all disciplines touring is my favourite. But I will always be grateful for the opportunities Breeze has given me to challenge my own limits. I've even got used to having my photo taken - something I would have shied away from 10 years ago.  

Though it is with huge sadness that I pass my jerseys onto others, I know this is the right decision for me at this moment. I am now looking forward to finding new areas to serve the cycling community and can't wait for new opportunities for me to grow my cycle experiences further.  

All that is left to say is Thank you all - it's been a Breeze!