In Search of Adventure (ePub)

Escapist non-fiction for women who want to ride away on their bikes to the world beyond the kitchen wall. Or anyone who has ever dreamed about cycling and not done anything about it yet! Twelve very different women share personal stories about getting on a bike to find fun, freedom and friendships. Reflecting on their journeys, they laugh about what they've learned from their mistakes and experiences. Their hilarious heart-felt stories will inspire you in some small or massively life-enhancing way. They are not elite athletes. They are not famous. They are women who have coped with a range of health problems and they have not been immune to stress or loss. Sharing stories makes them wiser. These women have a love of cycling, adventure and a great sense of humour! Join them and enjoy the ride.

Alongside the real-life inspirational stories, the book offers some guidance on choosing a bike, planning and nutrition. There's also a list of useful tips and contacts for people wanting to get involved in riding a bike through cycling initiatives. Written in lockdown, the stories in this book have been skilfully edited and presented in the storyteller's own words. This captures the way that women these women have learned to use their self-talk in a positive way and each woman's unique personality and viewpoint.

Janine's Story (extract)

When I met my now husband in 2010, he questioned me, "if you sit in a gym on a bike, why don't you cycle?". We bought a couple of cheap bikes in early 2011 and started to commute to work on them. Cycling was a way of getting around without having to spend money. It meant not sitting on the tram, catching everyone's germs. Then it really grew on me when the Olympics happened and the Tour de France came to the north of Sheffield. We got caught up in all that excitement. I rang British Cycling to ask if they were doing a Sky Ride in Sheffield and that's when they suggested Breeze to me. I said, "I've never led a ride or done group leading". They said, "It doesn't matter, we're not looking for experienced cyclist group riders, "We've been there and done that".

The best thing about Breeze is working with women who aren't really sure why they bought a bike or got it out of the shed. After a couple of rides, they've gone on from doing one lap of Dam Flask reservoir to two or maybe a 20 miler. Seeing them make progress and achieve something is great, it doesn't have to be a World Record or anything. I say to people, "I'm not bothered what bike you come on because, actually, it's you that's powering the bike". It's about your physical and mental determination not the five grand bike. You can have a really expensive bike and not do anything with it or you could have a bike that's £100 that you bought from your friend and if you're determined to get up Winnat's Pass, a very steep incline, you're going to get up it!