From seasonal to avid cyclist…
Bhoomi took part in The Adventure Syndicate’s June Match the Miles, incorporating it into a bikepacking trip to Oban. Read about how she got started with her cycling journey as a young child in India, later taking advantage of the next bikes in Glasgow and building up the courage to go on a solo bikepacking trip.
One of my fondest childhood memories is of my father teaching me to cycle - running behind me, holding the bike seat until I was confident to balance myself and pedal along. Another vivid memory of my bike and me was when I treated my bike as a car. Seeing how my father maintained his car, I would wash my bike using a garden hose, sand off the rust from the spokes and paint it, and oil the chain. During the festival of Dussehra in which one of the rituals was decorating your vehicle with marigold garland, I would buy a small garland for my bike.
Fast forward 12 years, and I am cycling in Glasgow. I am on a rented bike trying to change gears as I cycle up hill for a charity event. I had grown up with a single gear bike, so learning how to use bike gears as an adult was a bit of challenge. During my first 6 years of living in Glasgow, I enjoyed seasonal bike rides to Balloch along the National Route 7. When the Nextbike installed bike stands in Glasgow, the frequency of my rides increased.
One of the biggest impacts of cycling I felt was during my PhD thesis writing period. The 20 minutes cycle ride by the river from my flat to the University (and then back) made me momentarily happy and de-stressed me. Since then, I tried to cycle regularly still renting a bike, and still riding only on designated cycle paths. I did my first longest ride in 2017 when I participated in Pedal for Scotland.
After renting the same bike on two occasions, I finally bought that same hybrid bike. I was so delighted – I celebrated it by taking it for a ride on the ‘West Loch Lomond Cycle Path’. A glimpse of the highland landscape while cycling on that route made me realise how much beauty of the landscape it’s possible to absorb while out on a bike. You just can’t get that same feeling in a car, a train or a bus. Hence, when I visited bike-friendly cities Copenhagen and San Francisco, I made sure to explore parts of those cities, which had designated cycle route, on a bike.
Jumping ahead to March 2020 when the pandemic caused lockdown in the UK. While work consumed most of my weekdays, it was the weekends that were most challenging. Cycling as a form of exercise was permitted, and with the roads being fairly empty, I took it as an opportunity to build my assertiveness of cycling on the road.
I was glad to find that bike repair shops were classified as essential and were still operating. This was because I found a puncture in one of the tyres of my bike, and I did not know how to fix it. At this point, I must thank Iain in my neighbourhood bike repair shop who would repair my bike in a short notice as well as give me bike repair 101 lessons every time I visited him.
During those bleak days, my weekends were filled with exploring Glasgow and its parks. I couldn’t agree more with Glasgow’s name ‘Dear Green Place’ as I never fell short of finding a new park or woodland area to cycle to. I love travelling to explore new cities. Cycling around Glasgow felt like sightseeing in a new city. I saw the city with a new lens which I hadn’t for the past 9 years that I’d lived in Glasgow. I visited areas of the city I wasn’t previously aware of and didn’t know how beautiful they were.
As the restrictions eased in summer of 2020, I cycled further outside Glasgow. One of the most fun rides I had was cycling up the Whitelees wind farm in a typical Scottish summer weather! I realised that I had built up enough stamina for cycling more than 45 kms. I was now comfortable with switching between gears. So, encouraged by my lovely friend (and experienced bikepacker) Elizabeth, I dared to go bikepacking to Aberfoyle and Callander.
I shall always cherish that three-day ride from Glasgow to Aberfoyle, followed by cycling up hill on the Duke’s pass to get on the ‘Three lochs forest path’ to reach Callander, and then back to Aberfoyle and Glasgow. It was also my only going-away holiday. (I am yet to pass my driving license test, and in 2020 I was a bit wary of taking public transport. I visited only those places which were accessible by a bike. I was amazed how many places in and around Glasgow I could reach by cycling, and how many friends and colleagues I could meet by cycling to a park close to their home, in turn exploring new parks.).
I cycled through autumn and winter of 2020; only stopped when there was snow and ice on the roads. Throughout the year, I learnt road rules for cyclists, basic bike mechanics e.g. how to replace a tube tyre, used my bike to go shopping on the other side of the city, and read about and discovered umpteen cycle routes within Glasgow and the west of Scotland. One of many things I enjoy about cycling on road is receiving and giving a wave or a greeting to passing cyclists. It makes the ride so much more enjoyable.
Cycling, unlike my other hobbies such as tennis and badminton, doesn’t require me to rely on someone. My bike and I is all it takes to set out on an adventure from my doorstep. Cycling kept me sane throughout the challenging year of pandemic and made me feel less alone and lonely. Being on my bike brought me joy, made me feel empowered, decluttered my mind, made me feel love, brought me close to nature, and took me to distant places where I could enjoy a slice of cake whilst listening to an audiobook. Now there is no looking back, just upwards and onwards with my bike.
Feeling inspired? Why not take part in the next Match the Miles in September and let us know how you get on by tagging @adventuresynd and using #MatchtheMiles