Travel, Cycling, Travel Writing 

Cycling, in all its forms in the Noughties and the Olympic years (2008 and 2012) suddenly, and finally, found favour. Road racing with Nicole Cooke crossing the finish line first, in a torrential rainstorm, below the Great Wall of China in 2008 Beijing and the pot of gold medals in the velodrome caught people's attention.Bradley Wiggins winning the general classification of the Tour de France in 2012, supported by Chris Froome, with the sprint achievements of the 'human bullet' Mark Cavendish really meant that cycling and cyclists could do no wrong. Instead of time trials hidden away from public on a rainy and windy Sunday morning down a back road, we now had the gorgeous Victoria Pendleton streaking around the smooth boards of a futureistic indoor racetrack. A perfect streamlined shape in a blur of bodily efficiency. Since various experts realized that we were poisoning the planet, 'going green' and causing a minimum carbon footprint was, suddenly, the right thing to do. Cycle touring fitted that lifestyle perfectly. Using lightweight, high specification cycles and joined by fellow adventurers I toured many areas of the UK followed by Southern Ireland and the Continent. The camaraderie was wonderful although, like the racers, there was always an element of competition. One needs it when climbing a long mountain pass or even being first to reach a village sign. Cyclists weren't always the 'bee's knees'. In the 1960's they, in the opinion of other road users, were an uninsured inconvenience - a set of weird freaks who blocked the roads and delayed the speeding motorist. Cycling in the 1920's and 30's used to be very popular as a convenient form of transport to work or for leisure. Popular until more roads, including fast motorways, were constructed and people's disposable income ballooned meaning everyone had to have the latest cars. Cycling Week was shown in the press and on television with the reporter having the tongue firmply planted in his or her, chubby cheek. It was illustrated as a freakish activity persued by childlike enthusiasts. Today, thanks to Olympians and a modicum of sensibility cycling ,and particularly cycle touring, is good, good, good. We didn't cycle tour to raise money for charity, to keep fit, or to save money. We enjoyed varying landscapes, savoured the challenge of the mountains and climbing roads- it was becoming a lifestyle. We did it becasue we WANTED to. We were ENJOYING ourselves. - from Amzon