American in England │ Historian │
Blogger │ Cycling Addict │ Live Music Junkie | Cat Lady
Born and raised in Oregon USA, I lived in London for 11 years before returning to a rural life in 2012. My entire life changed when I took up cycling in the summer of 2009. I was chiefly motivated to make this change out of frustration and a growing despair... with the unreliability, expense and squalid experience of public transport... with a lifelong battle with my weight that I seemed destined to slowly lose. I also had a strong desire to simplify my life by reducing complexity, expense and stress.
Life is better on two wheels
Much to my surprise, I found cycling to be far more practical than I expected, as well as liberating and fun! I sold my beloved classic convertible in Autumn 2009 and have been car-free ever since. I've become healthier and happier, travelled a lot more and with a greater sense of self-sufficiency, developed a surprising degree of engagement with and pride in my local community, become more confident, made many new friends and met my soulmate and life partner.
Much to my surprise, I found cycling to be far more practical than I expected, as well as liberating and fun! I sold my beloved classic convertible in Autumn 2009 and have been car-free ever since. I've become healthier and happier, travelled a lot more and with a greater sense of self-sufficiency, developed a surprising degree of engagement with and pride in my local community, become more confident, made many new friends and met my soulmate and life partner.
I started this blog in January 2013 as a place to capture my thoughts and impressions on anything at all cycling-related, and to document my rides, my search for the perfect bike / bag / lights / whatever and perhaps also my journey to being fitter.
What you'll find here
All kinds of product tests and reviews, stories about places I've been on my bikes and thoughts on building up, customising and re-purposing various bikes of all kinds...
Where we're going
They say "You Can't Buy Happiness. But You Can Buy A Bicycle And That's Nearly The Same Thing."
I love riding my bike and want it to be as comfortable and enjoyable as possible, regardless of distance. But I'm no athlete: I am a middle-aged, over-weight woman with arthritic knees and a metabolism problem.
One of the most amazing, joyous discoveries has been long distance riding — especially night rides — and I completed my very first multi-day cycle tour in June 2014 — in hilly Scotland!
In fact, I may have caught the Touring Bug, having undertaken a 3-day group ride from Cherbourg to Dieppe in May 2015 followed by an 8-day tour of the Low Country (from Dieppe in France to Hoek van Holland via Ypres, Bruges, the N57 flood barriers, the Kinderdijk, Utrecht, Amsterdam and the LF1 Dutch Coastal Route) in September 2015.
2016 saw us in the south of France (a triangular route from Avignon taking in Vaison-la-Romaine and Gordes) in June, with a return to the Netherlands (based in Amsterdam) in November.
In July 2017, we will be exploring new roads in northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands (Dunkirk > Ghent > Leuven > Maastricht > Eindhoven > Breda > Hoek van Holland).
I love riding my bike and want it to be as comfortable and enjoyable as possible, regardless of distance. But I'm no athlete: I am a middle-aged, over-weight woman with arthritic knees and a metabolism problem.
If I can do it, anyone can!
Rebecca