Ruth McIntosh - In Search of Adventure

I was chatting to a friend the other day who asked me what I wanted, "In Search of Adventure" to achieve. I gave this some thought and it's this: I want to share my love of the freedom I feel when I'm on a bike. I want other women, men and children to have a go and enjoy it...

Imagine how chuffed I was when my sister told me that she and her friend had cycled from West London to Bath to celebrate her 50th birthday after reading the draft of my book! This was their first tour on their bikes. They hadnt been sure if they, or their bikes, were up to scratch until I reassured them that they certainly were! They might have done it anyway but it's always nice to think that I made a difference!

I understand all too well that it's not always easy. Actually, the idea for this book started when I found myself in a sad and lonely place recovering from Coronavirus. My bike was languishing in a dusty part of the garage and I needed something to cheer me up.

Inspiration came to me during a Zoom call with some friends I had made from taking part in a cycling holiday. It was just the thing I needed to set the wheels in motion. Ive always wanted to write about women and to get our voices heard. Lockdown seemed like the perfect opportunity to take on a storytelling project.

Soon 12 women were on board and I had transcribed their stories in full. The final stories have been edited but the words remain as their own, just as every woman told me her story.

I learned a lot through their experiences. Most women started on basic bikes, they all had times when they doubted themselves, they all had to deal with some difficult stuff. Many of the women had also coped with one or more health problems: arthritis, brain injury, diabetes, excess weight, heart problems, fatigue and thyroid problems. One or two women had fallen off their bicycles then got back on them to recover. I felt really lucky listening to their stories.

Each woman was one in a million. One in a million women who discovered, or re-discovered, cycling in the last seven years. This is when some of the stories start, in the year 2013, when only about 525,000 women were cycling regularly. Back in 2013, research indicated that there was a disparity in confidence levels between men and women but also identified the barriers to women getting involved in cycling. As a result, British Cycling established a women-only initiative to train new starters looking to develop their confidence and they called it Breeze. Many of the women in this book trained to be Breeze leaders and some of them still volunteer their time to support Breeze and other cycling initiatives today.

This is a book very much about now and the future. Like many others, Im cycling again and bike usage in general has increased, with e-bikes rising in popularity too. My hope is that sharing these stories will inspire anyone who is dreaming of getting on a bike, joining a cycling initiative or planning adventures of their own. Why not visit www.slow-cycle.com to find out more about good routes in the UK and Europe for new starters?

I first started blogging after twenty years of working as an English teacher. Writing about my love of cycle touring was an obvious choice. After a couple of years, I invited others to work with me on "guest blogs" and discovered that collaborating was great fun. This book is an extension of my passion project, developing methods that I employ in Brand Storytelling for small businesses and not-for-profit organisations. You can find out more and get in touch with me through my website: www.goodapplecopy.com

She wanted to,

so she did.

Indigo Kelly-Forest

1

Maryam lives in Leicester and her journey in cycling has taken her from being stuck indoors with her daughter in the summer holidays to being an inspirational cycling leader and one of Cycling UK's 100 women in cycling. Shes shy but shes got a fiery side to her, especially when shes climbing hills or dealing with inconsiderate drivers! Through training others to ride as a volunteer, Maryam was chosen to be an Olympic Dove which involved performing in the 2012 Opening Ceremony.

Maryam's story, in her own words:

Ive always cycled but in 2010 I was unwell and couldnt go to the gym any more because I had an under-active thyroid. My ten year old daughter was just sitting on the PlayStation most of the day in the summer holidays. It was really bugging me that she was indoors and not getting outside. I thought, "Ive got to do something for her and something for myself as well," so I looked around and I got myself a mountain bike. We explored our local surroundings, starting at the park, then we went from park to park and then a bit further afield. She was getting more confident and I was really enjoying it. Later, when she started secondary school, it wasnt "cool" anymore so it was just me on my own!