I hate Sundays. As a kid they were always the day of the week we did nothing. They can be the dullest day, but just over a week ago I had the best Sunday ever…spent with two lovely British Cycling coaches learning some new track cycling skills! (more…)
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…)
Ahead of this month’s historic La Course by Le Tour de France, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is joining forces with key partners including Tour de France organiser Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) and UCI Women Road World Cup sponsor The Sufferfest, to launch the Women’s Cycling Week (WCW), from 20 to 27 July 2014. The goal of the Women’s Cycling Week is to grow the profile of women’s cycling at every level via a series of events that will take place throughout the month of July to get more girls and women riding. (more…)
You may remember that not too long ago I was out cycling with a couple of others when my friend had quite a tumble from her bike on a corner. After flying through the air, she landed on her back and knocked herself unconscious. That sent myself and the other person I was with in to bit of a panic. After all, it’s not every day you’re confronted with an unconscious friend whose eyes are rolling and who’s not responding. It was a hairy moment I can tell you. I wish we’d had the new St John Ambulance First Aid for Cyclists app intended especially for cyclists. (more…)
Team spirit is a magical thing. Without it, many of us wouldn’t be half the people we are today. The nice thing about being part of a team is that you always have others on your side.
Today myself and my two little ones, I, 7 and S, 3 have been on a family bike ride. It was only a couple of miles around a lake, because at three, and only a month into riding his bike stabiliser-free that’s pretty much all S could manage. The wind started to build and the rain started to fall mid way through our ride and S was all set for giving up. ‘I can’t do it, mummy!” he shouted through tears. I had a huge surge of pride as I heard my daughter shout back to her brother: ‘You can do it! I know you can! I’ll wait right here and I’ll give you a big hug if you can make it a little bit further to me.” That was something very special right there. There was that magical thing. Team spirit. (more…)
I’ve heard a lot of arguments lately about why we need more women’s cycling on mainstream TV. I watched The Women’s Tour and loved it, but it wasn’t accessible to everyone…it wasn’t on any of the main four tv channels and it was on later in the evening than I would have liked to have seen.
My daughter is six. Very nearly seven. Up until just over two weeks ago she couldn’t ride her bike. Regular readers will have grasped my frustration at her apparent lack of interest. We’ve tried to encourage her to learn on a number of occasions – shiny new bike was delivered for her birthday last year and she just wasn’t all that interested. Fear seemed to set in and she refused to go anywhere near her bike. In recent months, the mere mention of giving it a go has sent her into a trembling mess, which was really sad to see. I was about to give up trying to encourage her altogether and was ready (reluctantly) to accept that maybe cycling wasn’t ever going to be something she would want to do. But then a wonderful thing happened… (more…)
I’ve been taking part in the Aviva Stress Less Challenge in conjunction with the Mumsnet blogger network and their research panel. I’ve been trying out the tips recommended especially for me by the Aviva experts over the last two weeks. You can read about my experiences with getting started with the challenge and the information that Aviva needed from me. And then how I got on with the first set of tips from their lovely experts.
I wasn’t too well during the first week – I was recovering from a three week long chest infection and was shattered, so whilst I gave the tips a try, some days I was just too tired to follow through with the diet tips of ensuring my meals were split in 60:30:10 ratios. This week, however, I’ve been feeling much better and the tips have gone well. (more…)
Sunday 25 May 2014 was Nottingham’s Milk Race and I was lucky enough to be invited along! It’s only the second year that women have been allowed to race the city centre circuit so I was really excited to witness it. There were some big names attending! (more…)
Recently, I wrote about how my friend had fallen from her bike knocking herself unconscious. That really was a hair raising experience for all of us and, honestly, I shall never ride a bike again without wearing a helmet. What’s a few strands of hair out of place when my skull can be kept in one piece? (more…)
OK, it’s time to come clean. It’s time to tell you my secret. To be honest and tell you the real reason why I love my bike.
When I was a child my brother was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Back in 1984 there wasn’t a lot the neurosurgeons could do with a brain tumour. They tried to remove it, but it was the size of satsuma in a three year old’s head and in a very precarious place, so for any surgeon removing that successfully and without causing damage, was not going to be an easy job. (more…)