Ever waited, and waited for your cyclist boyfriend or husband to come home so you can finally start enjoying the weekend? This was me until…
I got myself a shiny blue bike and some bloody independence!
People say “Alice, are you into cycling?” I answer you’re only into cycling if someone takes you along and shows you the way. It’s the physical challenge and the social aspect that grabs your interest. Then the inclusion and involvement in cycling groups sweeps you up and there’s no turning back. It’s both fun and rewarding.
“Let’s just say I’ve come along way from flat pedals and riding in Nike running shorts and a Bonds t-shirt.” Alice laughs.
Someone once told me that when you’re older, (I guess I’m at the age now to know what he means…) you should try a different sport, something you’ve never done before. This advice is not to broaden your horizons, keep your body in shape or to avoid boredom, but to test your present self. If you continue to do the same things in your adult life as you did when you were a kid you’ll always be competing with your younger self. Let’s be honest, your younger self may always be faster, stronger and happier in your mind. Cycling, for me, was a sport with new personal records, emerging conditioning, new competitors to beat and of course new shiny toys, apparel and equipment to dream about.
Starting out, my first ride was a disaster.
That ‘someone’ who took me out and introduced me to cycling, went down a hill too fast for me and I lost him. Turned a corner at the bottom of the street, never to be seen for at least 45mins of hot hilly hysteria in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. You can’t store a phone in a Bonds t-shirt… If it wasn’t for the coffee stop and listening to the adventures of others that morning, I wouldn’t have done it again… It seems that everyone has their cycling war stories that both build determination and of course character. I laugh about it now.
Read My Journey from B to B by Chris Boogert who took his ‘hobby’ to a whole new level after a serious crash in the Blayney to Bathurst.
Now I can cycle a long way, at great elevation and even go down hills fast enough to not get dropped. It’s an awesome sport with endless physical benefits, but this repetitive movement that gets you out of bed early and exposes you to a whole different friendship group, also plays wonders for your mental health. My advice: don’t wait for your boyfriend or husband to get home, get out there yourself.
If I can do it, you can do it too.
Got a funny or similar story? Tell us about it.
Who got you into cycling and what went down on your first couple of rides?!
And a bit of encouragement goes a long way!
