Spring is always a time of hope, optimism and new life, but in 2021 spring also heralds a move out of lockdown. We take a look at the cycling related things we are looking forward to this spring.
Club rides
From 29 March outdoor gatherings of up to six people and organised outdoor sport will be allowed, which means group rides and club cycling is back on. We’ve really missed riding with our mates and talking about everything from the frivolous to the serious. The motivation to cover miles, the shared experiences and the broad ranging chat makes group rides a social and cycling highlight of the week. We can’t wait to pedal up to the meeting point and see all those smiling faces again.
Café stops
They say it’s about the journey, not the destination, but picking a café (or a pub) to ride to is part of the fun of planning a cycling route. From 12 April our favourite café stops will open. We’ll have to eat and drink outside but it will be such a pleasure to have a break mid-ride again. How good is the first coffee and bacon bap going to taste after a few hours on the bike with friends? The café stop is such a long-established tradition of bike riding, we’ve been lost without it!
Sportives and cycling events
Many participant cycling events were cancelled in 2020 and few organisers have been brave enough to advertise re-scheduled dates as yet. But with large outdoor sporting events such as football matches allowed from 17 May, sportives should also be back on the cards. With 21 June heralded as the end of all social restrictions we really hope to be seeing some sportives being announced from early summer and organised sanctioned bike-racing even sooner. While competition is far from the main reason for riding a bike, we have missed the frisson of excitement that comes with pinning a number on and completing a challenge.
Riding to work
Who’d have thought that anyone would miss cycling to work – but we did, along with thousands of other cyclists now working from home. Riding to work is purposeful, time efficient and just the motivation needed to ensure we get out on our bikes every day. It’s much harder to have the same discipline and commitment when the commute is no more than stumbling downstairs to the kitchen table, or home office if you’re lucky. It has sparked a trend for fake-commuting with #fauxcommute trending on social media and Strava as working from home cyclists start their day with a short spin to get themselves mentally and physically prepared for work.
With many businesses realising the benefits of working from home, the faux-commute may be a long-lasting legacy of the pandemic but one we should be able to turn to our advantage. More flexibility, less travel time and less traffic congestion is better for everyone, and with a faux-commute you can choose more varied and less busy routes to your (home) office! Before you jump on your bike and take off, it’s important to take some time to prepare for bike safety in the spring.
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