Tag: cycling

Cycle Through Zanzibar With HIPZ

cycle through Zanzibar with HIPZ
Beach near Nnugwi, Zanzibar

Imagine an amazing cycling trip, a life-changing experience, all whilst helping an incredible charity. Here’s how you can cycle through Zanzibar and support HIPZ in their life-saving work:

What comes to mind when you think of Zanzibar? White sandy beaches, clear blue seas, Freddie Mercury…? Zanzibar is a holiday-maker’s dream but it is also home to 1.3 million people who are living with an under-resourced health care system. This idyllic island has just one doctor to every 20,000 people. To put this into context, the UK has one doctor to every 400 people.

In 2007, the charity Health Improvement Project Zanzibar (HIPZ) started working in Makunduchi Hospital. At the time there were no doctors, non-existent management and extremely run down, dilapidated facilities. There were high levels of infant and maternal mortality, malnutrition, and disease. HIPZ’s involvement has led to a reduction in child and maternal mortality, a significant improvement in facilities, and an increase in trained staff. This success led to HIPZ supporting a second hospital, Kivunge, in 2012. HIPZ is unique in the way that it works, ensuring that it never replaces the statutory responsibilities of the government. You can read more here. (more…)

End of Summer Update: Disappointment Cycling in the French Alps

summer travelSummer….where did you go?

Erm…where did summer go? I don’t know about you but as the children have returned to school, it feels like summer 2016 was the quickest summer ever. As sometimes happens, I’ve not blogged anywhere nearly as often as I had hoped. Life kind of took over a little, but I think I’m back on track now! Whilst Mother Nature has blessed us with a late surge of warm, hazy summer sun this September, the leaves on the trees are rapidly changing colour, the nights are inevitably drawing in and Autumn is definitely quickly approaching. (more…)

Preparing for Your First Charity Bike Ride

Preparing for your first charity bike rideSo, you’ve decided to take on your first charity bike ride. Charity fitness challenges can be some of the most rewarding things you can do – for yourself and for others. You can get fitter, contribute positively to the life of someone who needs your help, and if you’re new to cycling, discover a fantastic new hobby.

But where do you start? Whether you’re already a cyclist, or you are completely new to the sport, you still need to prepare yourself, mentally and physically, for the challenge. Here are my top tips. (more…)

Top Tips for Safe Winter Cycling

top tips for safe winter cyclingHello Autumn! And yes, winter, I can see you’re not too far behind. The clocks have gone back and the nights are drawing in. Hibernating is an option, and as tempting as it may be, there is still a lot of fun to be had during the winter cycling season. We just need to make sure we put a little bit more time into our ride preparation.

So, here’s my top tips to ensure safe winter cycling so you can have as much of a blast at this time of year as you can during the summer months. (more…)

Six Things I Tell Myself Whilst Cycling

Six Things I Regularly Tell Myself Whilst Cycling in Autumn...The seasons have changed and it’s getting nippy out there! If you’re anything like me, cycling suddenly feels far, far less inviting and much harder than it did when the weather was warm.

Having just returned from a sunny cycling holiday in Catalunya where the temperatures hit a rather perfect 28 degrees, getting out and cycling in temperatures nearer to eight degrees is taking a little more effort (OK, a lot more effort). Some days I need a good talking to (read that as most days). So, here are the six things I tell myself whilst cycling in Autumn. I say in Autumn; what I actually mean is here is my inner monologue all year around! (more…)

A move to pastures new. And a little bit of honesty

women's cycling, club cycling, NottinghamshireMy goodness, what a hectic few months it’s been! Since I last posted a lot has happened at OCG HQ. We’ve had a house move, a new school and an operation! Thankfully, Little Man is fine after his op and is raring to go again. Miss OCG is enjoying her new school and the new OCG HQ is starting to feel like home.

Our new house is not too far from the old one, only 12 miles or so away but far enough away to mean new cycling territory and I think that was just what I needed! Some new places to explore! I’ll be honest, it’s a little more hilly than I had bargained for and with a couple of months out of the saddle my fitness could be better! But the sun has started shining and it has some heat in it (so no more Raynaud’s problems for the time being) and the local scenery in my new little spot in Nottinghamshire is glorious!

So, there’s been a few changes… (more…)

It’s time for Jantastic 2015

Jantastic 2015
It’s time for Jantastic 2015

I hope you’ve all had a wonderful Christmas. It was a very lovely one here at OCG HQ full of family festive frivolity. I’ve eaten a ton of chocolate, my own body weight in turkey, cheese and Christmas pudding and drank the equivalent of a barrel load when it comes to cocktails, wine and spirits. All in all, while lots of fun has been had, I’m feeling ready to burst and about as a energetic as Santa on Boxing Day.

Cycling Hubby is feeling the same so we’ve decided to sign up for Jantastic 2015. We’ve never done it before but as life has taken over for both of us over recent months we need something to address our motivation and to kickstart our 2015 two wheeled adventures. (more…)

For coffee lovers…Pact Coffee

Image: Phil Jones

Cyclists love coffee. The two just seem to fit so snugly together. There’s rarely a cross word between a cyclist and their coffee cup…it’s the perfect relationship. A steaming cup of hot coffee filling the kitchen with it’s delicious aroma is the most wonderful way to start the day and the perfect way to prepare for that cycle ride. (more…)

Me for Queen’s cycling inspired album launch

Me for Queen 'Iron Horse' cycling album

Back in March I read this article in the Guardian about musician and singer, Mary Erskine, and how an evening bike ride in Richmond Park, London, had inspired her to start writing odes to cycling and to set them to music.

Erskine’s band Me for Queen release their debut album Iron Horse this autumn. It’s an album written about the experiences and feeling of riding a bike, with the name itself being the name of Mary’s bike.

According to the Guardian interview with Erskine, musically she has ‘relished the challenge, and the creatively liberating process of writing around a theme’. (more…)