Why Cycling?
Everyone starts riding for different reasons; for me it was the commute, for others it was being inspired by Yorkshire hosting the Tour de France, and now so many people are talking about the environmental, financial, physical and mental health benefits, it feels like we’re on the cusp of a new dawn for life on two wheels.
The great thing is, and I’m sure you’ve been there too, that so often something feels hard when you start, but then you have a moment.
You know the one, the thought “this actually isn’t so bad”.
The change in routine, the physical effort, or that it always seems to be raining; it’s still there, but an element of pleasure has snuck in and doing this thing has finally started making sense.
You’re over the hump, and on the slippery slope of enjoying it, possibly even evangelising.
A bit like riding to save the world, and staying with it because the ride is saving you..
It might not be realistic, but it's easy to dream of rides like this!
What’s Changing?
“The whole world” sounds like a glib answer, but it really is a new dawn.
Over the next 5 years, the government is expected to spend £4.5 billion to create 5000 new routes, plus 10000 safer crossings creating better links between the places we all need to get to.
That’s taking the “if you build it, they will come” mantra, and putting serious money behind it.
The Netherlands used to suffer from a car addiction as badly as we do.
Now their short journeys are mostly by bike, their people healthier, there is less environmental damage, lower healthcare burden, and the streets are a pleasure to wander through.
No-one there asks “Will active travel work?”, because it already has.
Moving under your own steam also better connects you with your environment because you’re physically in it, not encased in a metal box and removed from it.
That’s good in many ways, particularly as it allows your body to do its thing; generating vitamin D, getting a natural tan, gently burning fat, toning muscle and moving your joints in a controlled manner that's great for rehab.
I won't lie, and say that there definitely won't be an element of "tell me again, why am I doing this?", but there’s wide-ranging payback.
You’ll gradually find that moving is easier, you don’t ache as much, and that you can run around with the kids, not be an out of puff spectator.
Then there’s the money.
That metal box is costing you dear beyond your wellness.
Figures vary, but the lowest saving I’ve seen quoted is £1700 a year, and many are much higher. That’s a win when driving is hardly becoming more enjoyable as time passes.
If all of this talk of change is making you feel uneasy, Sir Chris Whitty, England’s Chief Medical Officer, empathises.
He’s said that it “isn’t always politically easy" and that, "if people don't have the opportunity to get into the habit when they're children it will be very difficult to do so after." (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y0e0ege9ko)
Sir Chris has also made it clear that you don’t have to make a big change to experience worthwhile benefits, but small ones, for an extended period of time. That might not be easier than anything from the pharmacy, but they're better, more wide-ranging, and longer lasting.
This is being heard by GP’s who are using “Social Prescribing” as an alternative to drugs or other therapies.
Don’t worry if it sounds new, it’s been around for years, and a great example is the legendary “Couch to 5k” programme. Literally millions of people have gone from “I could never do that”, to “blimey!”.
A new twist on that is "Sofa to Saddle", and that's where I come in.
Sir Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer, extolling the benefits of active travel, and the long terms wins it brings for society.
How I can help
I have a completely free, two step course, aligned to Sofa to Saddle that I’m offering to Social Prescribers in Leeds.
Step one is a bike check to ensure someone’s bike is safe, show them how it can be adjusted, and ensure that it’s comfortable for the rider.
The next is throwing some cones out in a traffic free space, and playing.
If it’s been a while, it will remind people of not just about the skills they’ve got, but the feeling of movement and freedom a bike brings.
I probably won’t be able to teach someone how to ride from scratch in that session, but we’ll make a start, and they’ll leave a plan and confidence.
Sometimes you need to do a repair out in the wild, that's when it's especially good to be able to lend a hand.
Why would I do this?
Well, I left my previous career to do social good.
Almost 30 years trying to balance my heart with corporate objectives was taking its toll.
If anyone gives me a review, or lets me tell their story, that will help me carry the courses on.
If some of the people who come for the initial sessions want to engage me as a coach, so much the better.
No pressure or hassle either way – I’ve had too much of both, and nobody needs more of either in their lives.
If you’d like to know more about changing your world, or think that you can help me to help others change theirs, I’d love to talk!
It doesn't have to be great weather to be a great ride - believe it or not, this was actually a lovely day in the saddle!
