March 2017 | 109
Ask Anita
Universal Challenge
Anita loves discovering new places by bike , having explored many miles of the National Cycle Network , and taken her trusty Ridgeback to roughly twenty countries so far . She does the occasional sportive , commutes by bike in London and Surrey and dabbles in triathlons , mountain biking and visiting cycling cafes . She currently works for the charity Sustrans as a project officer . Anita ’ s main area of expertise is surrounding herself with experts , whose knowledge she will extract to answer all of your everyday cycling questions …
Dear Anita ;
I ' ve been getting into cycling during last year and managed to complete my first sprint triathlon which has given me a wonderful sense of achievement . As spring approaches , I would like to set out some new cycling challenges and goals and wondered if you could give inspiration ?
Dear Reader ;
Well done on your triathlon ! Three sports in one day is really very impressive . The problem is that you ’ ll be itching to find challenges and goals in all three disciplines now and you may find yourself having a very busy summer ! Having challenges to aim for and inspire gives purpose and adds excitement to your life , so this is an excellent question , and here are some general suggestions for the cycling side of things .
Sportives
An obvious starting point is Sportives . Varying in length from about 30 kilometres to over a hundred , they are timed but aren ’ t races , so they give you that challenge and goal but without the pressure and with a friendly , supportive atmosphere . Riding through beautiful areas with hundreds of other riders , sometimes with roads closed is an amazing atmosphere . Some have the extra challenge of lots and lots of brutal hills , so do your research before booking on ! A sportive challenge I aspire to complete one day is the Vatternrundan in Sweden – the world ’ s largest recreational ride with 25,000 riders doing a 300km ride !
Long-distance challenges
Whether for charity , or just for your own sense of achievement , completing an iconic long-distance ride can be really fulfilling . Depending on how much time you have available can determine your route . The LEJOG or End to End is often talked about – Land ’ s End to John O ’ Groats – but as you need a couple of weeks to do this , everyday things like work , children and pets may get in the way . Sticking to the UK , the C2C ( Coast to Coast or Sea to Sea ) or Way of the Roses are short , satisfying alternatives . Reading Cycling World should give you some inspiration for these types of route ! Further afield ( but not too far ), London to Paris is a classic or you could look at cycling part of the North Sea Cycle Route – or along the Rhone , or around Ireland , or …. the list is endless !
Everyday goals
Sometimes it ’ s good to have more everyday goals , rather than aiming at events . Cycling to work once a week perhaps , or to visit friends at the weekend , or joining a club and going out on some evening and Sunday rides . I know someone who has set himself a challenge of completing a certain number of cycle commuting miles for a year – working out how much money he ’ s saving , the calories he ’ s burning and the emissions reduced is really helping him to focus and his fitness is increasing hugely . Challenges , adventures , and having fun achieving goals are such an exciting part of cycling , and even more so if you can share them with others . One of the things that makes me the happiest is the friendships I ’ ve built through cycling , and these have been formed by sharing challenges and goals as much as by sitting with pints / pies / cakes / cups of tea after lovely rides .
The Vatternrundan by sportograf
CW editor completes LEJOG