CYCLING
Cycling
changed
my life
“I surprised myself because I
used to look at cyclists and
think ‘how do they do it, on
those winter mornings in
the cold or rain?’ – but now
that’s me,” exclaimed Karam
Applegate, who learned to
ride aged 57. Louise
Telot reports.
20
around ealing
Summer 2015
W
hen we met her, Karam had just
returned home after her daily eightmile commute, which would have been
unthinkable to her a few years ago.
‘LIFE IS TOO SHORT, SO HERE GOES’
She said: “I was actually interested in learning to ride
a motor bike, but one small catch is you need to be
able to ride a bike first. I was 57 and thought, ‘life is too
short, so here goes’.”
The challenge she faced is one that many of us
encounter: We want to learn to ride a bike but who
would teach a nervous adult on two wheels? Her search
started on the internet where she found Cycle Training
UK (CTUK), which runs the Cycle with Confidence
training course in partnership with
Ealing Council. It offers up to four
hours of one-to-one training with
a fully qualified instructor. For
only £5 per year, this offer is
only for people who live, work
or study in our borough.
Karam’s first lesson lifted her
confidence to the extent she
felt able to take her daughter’s
bike to the car park and ride
around until she could
balance.