March 2015 - Breeze. A life changer

Sometimes it's the smallest decicions that make the biggest impact on your life. 

Having been introduced to the idea of Breeze - free guided bike rides for women, I kept checking their websites for any rides that I could join. But there was nothing, just nothing. 

I can't be the only person wanting rides in the evening or weekends can I? 

So having talked it over with Teresa, we sent in an 'Expression of interest form' to British Cycling.  

We were both given a place, but couldn't make the same course. 

So on a rather cold Saturday morning in March, I headed up to Baisingstoke for my Breeze Leader training. 

I started talking to Karen in the car park. She was from Chichester and had finally got on the course after a very long fight. And then later chatted to Chris who was from Baisingstoke. 

I left that day with a passion to engage other women in cycling and gained not only a qualification but also two new friends who have appeared many times in my cycling journey. 

November 2014 - The inevitable change of steed

I found it!

The perfect bike!

I'll never need to get another one! (Said no cyclist ever) 

It was build like a road bike but robust enough to put up with my clumsiness. 

Why did I need a new one? Well, I had gone to get some advice from a local bike shop - I was getting sore arms and pain in the wrists. I figured I needed a bike fit so went along to ask those so much wiser than me. 

'Well the thing is, you need a small women's bike' said the chap, 'Yes' said I. 

'Well, you have a large man's bike' said he. 

'Oh!' Said I. 

The quest for a new bike began. 

I somehow managed to convince Sue to join me for a trip to Shoreham to take a look at the Invite. I rode it round and round the shop. It fitted like a glove. It was ordered there and then. 

Teresa joined me when I went to pick it up and somehow, we ended up bringing two home with us. Both proud owners of new bikes. 

More training was in order. 

March 2015 - New friends.

One of my favourite things about cycling is just how social it is. Meet Michelle. 

We met in the middle of a rather hard (and only my second ever) Sportive in Salisbury. I had entered with Teresa, but she sadly couldn't make it on the day. 

I decided to give it a go anyway - how hard could it be? 

Well it was hard enough to make me want to turn back. I rode with an old chap for a while -he had cut back and only did 'these little ones these days' I let him go after a little while, I just couldn't keep up with his pace. I continued alone with nothing but the beep of my garmin to keep me company. I pulled over at one point with tears in my eyes - if I could have worked out how to get back to my car, I would have given up right there. But my only choice was to keep following the arrows and the bleeping device on my handlebars. 

About 5 mins later a couple caught up with me and we got chatting. Steve was the keen cyclist and Michelle had joined him to train for a London to Paris ride they were doing later in the year. 

The chat eased the miles and we soon rounded the corner for the big hill. 

I had no idea what was facing me, but this was their home ground,so they had joined their friends at the roadside taking in little silver packets of goo. If only I'd followed. 

The hill was big. The hill was steep. The hill carried on forever. I had to pull over as I just couldn't get my breath. I ate a chocolate bar (I've learned a lot since then) 

Michelle and Steve saw me as they rode past. They checked I was ok and rode on. I finished my bar, took a picture started out again and my chain came off. 

I rode on and it happened again. 

Eventually I got up the hill and got myself to the food station. As I rode in Steve came running towards me. Evidently they had been waiting for me to arrive, Steve was about to retrace his steps to find me and vowed that they wouldn't be leaving me for the rest of the ride. 

We did, in the end, convince Steve to go on ahead as he was so much faster than us. We rolled in and collected our medals at least half an hour after him. But during that time the friendship was forged. 

Michelle and I have riden numerous Sportive a together since then and still keep in contact to this day. 

Riding the longest distance I had ever riden was good, being awarded a medal was great, but the reward of a great friendship - priceless. 

Sept 2014 - My first cycle challenge

 'Anyone fancy joining me? I've just signed up for a 40km Cycletta - cycle ride in the New Forest.' was my Facebook post. 

'I will' came the response from Teresa. 

We started to draw up plans for training. 

'Well I guess I need to go buy a bike!' She said. 

A few months training and we were ready for our challenge. A new friend Su joined us (only briefly - she finished an hour before us too) 

But we did it. 

We got our first medal. 

We raised lots of money for Macmillan 

The bug was well and truely caught! 

We looked for our next challenge and carried on cycling. 

June 2014 - Sky ride

The new term followed by a harsh winter meant the bike didn't see the light of day for a number of months. 

I wanted to get peddling again but was struggling with motivation. 

Having spent many a fun evening at my local camera club, I wondered if I could locate a local cycle club that would encourage me to cycle more. 

I found one and was immediately put off with the 'if you can't sustain .... Miles at ...pace, this is not the club for you.' They were right. Even if I could match their criteria, I would never join a club like this. How rude!! 

I somehow stumbled across something called 'The Skyride' it was a free event starting and finishing at the guildhall with lots of exhibits and events happening all around the route. The best bit was there would be no cars. The route was on cycle paths or closed roads throughout. I signed up with British Cycling and booked my place. 

The day was amazing, cycle celebrities (who I didn't recognise in the slightest) were there telling their stories and giving advice. The ride itself took me to parts of Southampton that I had never visited before. As always when I ride, everything felt so much closer and more manageable than it ever does in a car. 

But the best part of the day was meeting a group of ladies all wearing red tops, smiling, waving and generally being the most upbeat people in the square. I stopped to speak to one of them who explained what Breeze was all about. An initiative by British Cycling to encourage more women out on their bikes. I didn't realise was in such a minority! 

April 2014 - Upgrade

It wasn't long before I realised that my passion for cycling had been rekindled. And it wasn't long before I needed to get a new bike - the 'retro' bike that I had been kindly given was rapidly showing its age. The final straw was when the chain broke mid cycle and I had to take the slow walk back to the car. I looked up second hand shops and took a friend down to Portsmouth to see if I could source a replacement. 

I returned with a Giant hybrid - lighter than a mountain bike, more robust than a racer. Just what I needed to ride the paths of the New Forest. 

As it was nearing the end of the summer holiday I was convinced to go on a ride round lymington. 17 miles later we returned to the cars. Some more muddy than others. 

The bug was well and truly caught. 

Welcome and a bit about me

Hi there. 

Welcome to my new blog. 

Twice this week, I have been asked how I got into cycling, so I thought it was high time to document my cycling journey, not because it's anything special, quite the opposite really. It's just something that everyone can do at any time. And the benefits are amazing. 

Like most people, I used to cycle everywhere when I was a kid. Sunny summer holidays saw me out on my bike from breakfast to tea time. 

But once I passed my driving test, the bike gathered rust not miles. 

That's until a few summers ago. I was struggling to keep my weight down and consequently my health was beginning to suffer. I wanted to find a cheap way of exercising that got me out in the sunshine. I'm no runner ( I cant even run a bath) and though I do enjoy walking, it was not giving me the cardio exercise I was after. 

That's when I remembered cycling. A friend gave me a bike that had been gathering dust in her garage and a new hobby was born.