The two of us have done a fair bit of moving over the years. We first shared a cute, but very cold thatched cottage in the windswept plains of East Anglia back in what seems like an earlier geological age, but actually turns out to be only five years (and four moves) ago. Then there was a brief but glorious stint in the bonnie East Neuk of Fife, more of a holiday than anything else, and lasting a mere eight months before London, and various bijoux (read small) flats forced us to adopt a more Buddhist approach to life, jettisoning personal possessions in favour of more bike space (yes, we really do NEED a 2 bed flat!).
What have all these places, each very different from the last, had in common for us? Well, cycling has formed the mainstay of both our practical transport and our social lives. There have been the memorable days when, by virtue of cycling, i was the only person in work before midday when nearly a foot of snow fell overnight in Cambridge, or when i’ve had to wear my spds whilst giving a seminar on account of forgetting my normal shoes (again!). So it seems only fair that cycling should, once again, be central to our new life.
Yes, I have forgotten to tell you the most important part of the story, dear readers, we’ve moved. Gone are the days of sweaty turbo sessions three floors above the sounds of lorries reversing into the Sainsbury’s loading yard – we are free! And what a place to be free in, too. It turns out that the southern outpost of the Chilterns we now call home is criss-crossed with fantastic, canopied bridleways (if you don’t believe me, check out the region around Henley on www.bridlewaymap.com ). Mix that with the changing of the seasons, fun new bikes to play on (and review – watch this space!), and motivation is at an all-time high, despite an evil post-Roc d’Azur bug, and post-moving all-body aches. This is why we ride bikes!
Whereas life in Cambridge was all about the quiet country lanes (offroad becoming a no-go war zone of impossibly sticky mud between October and April), the roads of Fife lent themselves to as much suspension as any mtb could offer. London saw us wearing out too many sets of tyres going precisely nowhere, but here in the Chilterns, one bike is king. The go everywhere, do everything cyclocross bike, as comfortable rattling over the amnesiac autumn leaves (which have forgotten all the rocks and roots which now lie hidden beneath) as gliding along on the blacktop. The perfect tool for the job. As long as you’re happy to fix the odd puncture…
