For me, one of the big benefits of taking up cycling 16 years ago was finding a fabulous community of like-minded individuals. And the bonus is that I keep meeting new people all the time. It’s not static. Many cyclists have come and gone in my life, and new ones arrive all the time.
Last Sunday, I led a women’s ride for my cycling club. There were just six of us which was a great number for an enjoyable day out on the bike. Five riders including me who have been club members for a long time, and one new person. She’d found us through social media, and our website, and even saw us riding a few months back. For most women (and many men), it’s really scary joining a new group of people for the first time, so I think she was really brave.
She needn’t have worried because she fitted right in, rode at the same pace, enjoyed our nattering, and at the post-ride café stop, declared “I think I’ve found my people”. It made my heart sing. That afternoon, she joined the club, bought the jersey, and has since joined us for another ride.
This declaration that ‘she’d found her people’, made my heart sing. It’s the reason I’ve been running (with the help of an awesome bunch of women), the women’s program of my…
