June 23rd 2018 - Our little bit of coast.

What do you do when given the chance to ride with someone for one of their final legs round the coast of Great Britain? 

Jump at it of course. Eight Breeze champions did just that on Saturday when we joined Bev Graham, a champion from Ipswich who had spent the previous 52 days cycling round the coast, meeting as many Breeze champions as she could on the way. 

Our adventure started with a trip on a train. Though I’d been on a train numerous times before. Taking a bike with me was making me anxious. Did we need to book? Would they let more than two of us on? Would it be hard physically getting the bike onto the train? Would I get to the station on time? So many questions and my alarm hasn’t even had a chance to go off. 

I shouldn’t have worried. I was down at the station a whole hour before my train so I paused for a breakfast cuppa. 

I waited for my train to arrive. Enjoying the peace and quiet. Lisa was already aboard, her bike stowed in one of the hanging areas, mine went in the other. We spent a pleasant half hour enjoying the view and talking to another passenger about our day ahead. 

We arrived at Bournemouth station and rode down to the pier where we met with Jane and Ruth. We were causing a bit of a stir all sat in our Breeze kit, there were lots of smiles, waves and a couple of enquiries while waiting for Bev and her friends. 

So let’s put this little ride in context. We were riding 45 miles today along the coast as much as we could, making our way back to Southampton. 

Bev, on the other hand was well on her way to 4000 miles. And with just over a week to go, was also heading home. 

Once Bev arrived, we set off to meet our last two companions. Lucy and Janet who had both travelled down from North of the county to join us. 

The rest of the morning was spent learning about our new companions and enjoying the stunning views that we cycled past. We shared stories of Breeze rides near and far and exchanged hints and tips about encouraging others to cycle. It really didn’t feel long before we were at Beaulieu and were tucking in to some king sized portions of lunch, signing the flag and having photos taken before we bid farewell to Vanessa and Elaine who were retuning home by car to be ready for Bev’s return to their home ground. With all that done, we  headed off again. 

This last section was a well ridden route for those of us from Southampton. (Who wouldn’t take themselves off to the Bakehouse tearooms whenever you can) 

As with our tradition, we stoped again for a pic at Eling tide mill before heading those final few miles to Southampton city centre. 

Once at the city centre we met our final Breeze companion, Jenny and Bev had the chance for her bike to be looked over by The Bike Dr. Finally we headed off for coffee where we chatted for ages about the differences between men and women particularly with a cycle focus. What a great way to end the day. Thank you Bev for letting us ride with you and for giving us such a great insight into your travels. I do hope you enjoyed our little bit of coast and I hope we get to ride together again sometime. 

Safe journey home 

Sharon 

Jun 22, 2018. Ride #200

Today I led my 200th Breeze ride. It wasn’t a long journey - 3 years isn’t long at all these days. But with rides nearly every week since I began leading, I guess it wouldn’t take long to get to this milestone. 

The ride itself wasn’t that long either. I had originally posted it in the hopes to bring back together some of my old regulars who rode through thick and thin (well warm and cold) throughout that first year. 

But when my 200th tied in, it made the perfect way to mark this milestone. And every rider tonight has some real significance to my journey, let me introduce some of them. 

So on tonight’s ride was Anne, who had encouraged me to put up my first ride, and  seeing through her promise of signing up if I did, joined Olwen on that first ever ride. 

Olwen was my assistant tonight. She was on my first, my 100th and many many rides between. I was on her first ride too when she became a leader a couple of years later. 

Emma (with Anne), was one of the first of my riders that I convinced to train up enabling us to have bigger groups and go further afield. 

Su, well she has been on more rides than I care to think. She was one of the merry band that kept me going through my first winter, even though she hates the cold and says every year that she won’t do that again. 

Pandy and Jo - sisters who regularly met up in the Friday ride and chatted family stuff as we rode to our fave local. Claire, who joined us whenever her workload - and run training -  allowed. 

Kate and Lisa who only joined Breeze last year. Lisa had come back to cycling a short while before, Kate had not long restarted cycling herself. Both had wanted to challenge themselves to ride longer and faster, which is exactly what they did when they joined the progressive training rides over the summer and then completed a 100km rose at the beginning of September. Donna, who was such a huge part of that 100km ride, arrived after we did. She had delayed her holiday to join us and detoured her journey back to spend more time with the group. 

And finally there were three ladies new to our rides - their company reminding us just what Breeze is all about - fun, friendship and cake (with a bit of cycling thrown in.  

We rode to the Luzbourugh a slightly more challenging route than I would have liked. We had coffee, shared cheesy chips and caught up on each other’s life away from cycling. It was a lovely cycle. 

Thanks ladies for being a part of the 200th ride and all those ones in between. 

Sharon. 

May 2015 - Thames Bridges Bike Ride

Another challenge. 

I saw this on the internet and fell in love with the idea of cycling over all the bridges over the Thames. And I knew just the person to join me. 

Su had been helping Teresa and myself to train for quite a while now. 

She didn't have to wait for me quite as often as she used to. She was also keen to ride the bridges. 

It was a great event, one that I have now taken part in a number of times. 

Highly recommended. 

May 2015 - Breeze at the weekend

I started to explore the local area. Trying to find new routes for the evening ride and bingo - a pretty ride, but longer than an evening would allow. 

I wonder if anyone would be interested in a weekend ride? 

Well I had more interest than I thought I would. And so became another regular cycling slot in my life. 

This was a ride to Totton, but it was soon replaced by 'The Beaulieu Bun run' introducing an easy way out to the New Forest. 

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.