How cycling changed my life

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I was never considered very sporty at school. I shied away from Phsical Education lessons and glued myself to the shadows whenever the opportunity to do so arose. PE, after all, was for the cool kids.

As a result, I severely missed the moment in which to explore that part of myself. It was hidden behind a lack of self confidence and esteem. Therefore, when I was gifted a khaki pegalo bicycle, the awe and excitement I experienced threw me off balance. I had, of course, owned a hybrid bike as a teenager and long enjoyed cutting the corners of the neighbourhood I grew up in, but I certainly never believed myself to be anything of a cyclist. Cyclists wore skin tight Lycra shorts, sleek shiny helmets and owned a pair of angular, protruding calves. That was not me. Yet, when I touched the verdant, glossy frame with raw anticipation, somehow I knew this bike was going to alter my life.

I was nervous at first. The pedestrians, traffic and even lamposts sent a shiver of anxious energy through me when I imagined navigating the tarmac. I was no longer fourteen; it was no longer socially acceptable to weave between walkers on the pavement. I needed to join the cars.

I didn't build the courage for a while. Instead, I spent Saturday mornings cycling along gravel pathways, following the deep channels of the River Wey. I stopped frequently to admire the view. Canal boats and kayaks were aplenty and on a bright, sunny morning, the journey provided for a very calming experience. Cycling short distances in the sun, safe from the rumble of an engine, I felt very content. What a nice, occasional hobby, I thought fondly.

When money became tight, cycling needed to become less of an impromptu desire and more of an obligation. Cycling to and from work would save me approximately £35 a week. Let's face it - that covers the cost of a phone bill. I tackled the roads because I had to and in truth, I have never looked back. Riding to work delivered a sense of immense accomplishment and freedom. Every morning, I would now adorn the skin tight Lycra and the sleek shiny helmet. I would carry the green framed bike on my shoulder, down the small flight of stairs leading to the porch way outside my flat. I would turn left from the driveway and accelerate towards the first of many roundabouts with a tired smile beginning to spill from my face. You're probably (most definitely) not meant to due to safety reasons, but I would blare 'Happy Hits' from my airpods as I ascended the short incline towards Weybridge Road. It was a twenty five minute ride door to door, littered with small hills and gentle slopes.

No matter the weather, I got on that bike out of necessity. If it rained, I pulled on a high-vis waterproof. If it snowed, I tugged on an enormous pair of waterproof trousers that made me resemble the Michelin Man. And so, an automatic habit was formed. Cycling became embedded as part of my daily routine.

In no time at all, I swapped the trusty hybrid for a second hand, £100 white and blue Carrera, bought from a colleague's husband. The gear shift was irreversibly twisted and the tape peeling off the dropped handle bars, but oh my God I was in love. To me, it was the best damn bike in the world. I cycled the Carrera, with it's faulty gears, 59 miles from Chertsey to Brighton. I climbed Ditchling Beacon stuck in the third hardest gear, gritting my teeth and almost crying having completed no training whatsoever. I folded into a plastic chair outside a pizza restaurant once I arrived in Brighton, battered and bruised. But I arrived feeling strong. Cycling had empowered me.

The benefits feel endless because the change to cycling enables a succession of new changes in your life. It creates a delightful domino effect. Not only was I waking up earlier to avoid the 7am road traffic, but I was eating porridge when I arrived at work. Previously, I had always skipped breakfast. My cardiovascular health improved - I could now run 10k without stopping. As a non-driver, my knowledge of traffic rules increased. I left work earlier to avoid the impending darkness. My entire daily appetite increased. As a result, I felt less and less fatigued. I saved £140 a month. I felt a surge of euphoria whenever I pushed open the doors to school at 7am, having already accomplished something for myself that day. Teaching demands us to invest our hours into other people every day. I wouldn't have it any other way, but to start a morning doing something for me felt empowering. Plus, I had a new hobby. One I was weirdly skilled at. I picked up road cycling with ease and grew with fast confidence.

The real fun came from cycling with others. The freedom to be outdoors with purposeful intent, surrounded by like-minded individuals and a shared goal is incredibly liberating. I urge any person considering swapping their motorized vehicle of choice to a bike, to quote Nike, 'just do it'. Open Facebook marketplace, Gumtree or scour a second hand bike shop. Get it serviced and start small. Cycle to the shops. Cycle to your grandma's place. It will change your life and hopefully you will also develop a pair of angular, protruding calves. I'm still working on mine.

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