The Stuff Mountain

So, it turns out that handing in my notice was the easy bit and, after a brief, heady interlude of celebration, the reality has now well and truly taken hold.

As have the practicalities.

I now have just 2 weeks left at work and around 6 until we head off into the sunset (or the local ferry port) on our bikes. It’s not long!

In fairness it’s a similar/greater length of time to other pre-adventure preparation but there’s nothing to kick your heart rate and bodily functions up a notch like having a deadline looming.

The Bored Cyclist’s Guide to Surviving Lockdown

With current lockdown restrictions in the UK set to be in place for a while to come, I’m entirely grateful that we remain allowed to exercise outdoors, albeit with strong advice to ‘stay local’. For many cyclists however, especially those used to covering more miles on varied terrain, there can be tendency to feel a bit restricted, a bit stir crazy even. The list below is no instant fix, it is however a little selection of things that I have been trying/found helpful in attempting to remain motivated, fit and vaguely sane. They are also about having fun (hills excluded) and enjoying the ride. After all, that’s why we do it right?

Turbo Charged; Good things come to those who sweat.

If you asked 100 people why they like to cycle I guarantee that 99% of them will say something along the lines of

• It’s a great way to travel
• It gets you out in the fresh air
• You meet new people
• You see new places
• You can get muddy and do wheelies

And it is. Cycling is all about movement, company and being in the great outdoors.

Stripping to Music

I take far more time thinking about my choice of music than I do about the decision to start stripping in the first place.

Riding scared; Are women more afraid than men?

I’ve come to the conclusion that women are more afraid of things than men.