Scarier things than ranting drivers

The third Women V Cancer Ride the Night is tomorrow night. I'm sad to be missing it, but with it being so close to the leaving date for Cycle Africa (two weeks today, gulp!!), it was too much - both financially and practically - to fit it in. Instead, I'll be waiting to hear how all of my Women v Cancer friends get on during this most special of events.

Ride the Night will always hold a special place in my heart. It introduced me to many incredible women; it motivated me to write my first little book; it made me cycle further than I'd ever done before; it introduced me to three charities that do a great job of supporting women affected by breast, ovarian and cervical cancer; it gave me some fantastic friends and it was truly humbling to be surrounded by so many women who'd faced the toughest of times (who'd had a cancer diagnosis, who were in treatment, who'd lost someone dear to them, or who'd faced a whole host of other adversities) but were grabbing life by the handlebars and making the very, very most of the ride.

I was reminded this morning (by an innocent Facebook post from one of my lovely friends, that led to the usual tirade of angry comments) that throughout the year, us cyclists face a lot of ill-feeling on the roads. Let's face it, most drivers just don't want us there - taking up their space, getting in their way, holding them up...we're so bloody annoying! And sometimes they're justified in being angry - when numpty cyclists jump a light, when they pull out in front of cars, when they cycle four a breast etc. Tsk, bloody cyclists! They drive me nuts, talk about inconsiderate! They don't even pay road tax or insurance. Hate when there is a cycle lane and cyclists don't use it! Now that really gets me annoyed! I'd love to run them over...

So it's fitting that I read those comments on a day when I'm thinking about all of those amazing, incredible women who'll tomorrow night face their fears, get on their bikes and ride. Despite the animosity they face from many drivers.

After all, they've faced things far more scary than a few red-faced ranting drivers in their time...

So a wee message to my fellow Women v Cancer cyclists: Best of luck to each and every one of you for tomorrow night. Stay safe, enjoy the ride and have an absolutely brilliant night! You're all amazing.

And a wee message for my fellow drivers (again...!):

Story 33: Oh What A Ride

(I'll apologise now for the over-use of superlatives in the post you're about to read!)

While I was still on my adrenalin-high after completing Pedal for Scotland back in September, I Googled 'cycle rides'; I was desperately keen to sign up for another 'fun' cycling event. One of the first things to come up on the search list was the Women V Cancer 100km Ride the Night. I had absolutely no idea what I was letting myself in for when I clicked on the link and registered.

My daughter Gemma had just moved to London and I was looking for any excuse for visits, I had just managed to cycle 47 miles and was looking for another cycling challenge, I'd just finished my latest fundraising venture and was looking for ideas for my next one, and I was looking for something constructive to do to help raise the right kind of awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer. So, registering for this new event seemed like the perfect solution to all of the above!

Since registering, I've had a blast. I've had some great fun on training cycles with Alex, I've discovered that cycling when it's raining can be fun after all (thanks to the turbo trainer...), I've resolved a fair few of my cycling issues (found the perfect saddle, found the perfect riding position, found the perfect bum cream...), I've found many new friends (thanks to a Facebook group set up so that participants could lend each other support before the event and, in doing so, get to know each other a wee bit better), I've been inspired by so many of those women, I've written a little book that's been published and continues to raise money and awareness - and, I've cycled 62 miles through the night alongside 2000 other wonderful women with Gemma by my side!

Altogether it's been a truly fantastic ride!

A blow by blow account of the actual cycle is maybe for another time. Briefly though; the distance, the cycling through the night, the double puncture after hitting a humongous pot hole only 6 miles from the start (I, em, supervised from the sidelines while Gemma and two wonderful Ride Angels sprang into action), the London traffic, the volume of cyclists, the wee fall (so embarrassing - we came to a stop at a red traffic light, I put my foot down, was standing waiting, somehow lost my balance, and fell sidey ways with the bike following on top! No real damage done apart from a broken light, a few bruises and a small dent to my pride...), the bunching up, the varied nature of our cycling experience, and the varied nature of etiquette on display (from cyclists and drivers alike) all made for quite a challenge!

And, as with any inaugural event - especially one that takes place in a big busy city, is supported mostly by fantastic volunteers and attracts participants with a very wide range of experience and expectations - there were a few wee teething problems. However, Action for Charity, with the truly inspiring Ann Frampton at its helm, did an incredible job of organising Ride the Night.

Many of us weren't very experienced, or very serious - I have to hold my hand up to not knowing every rule of the road as a cyclist; some of the others have pointed out that we should've been calling out 'passing on the right' when we were overtaking a group - I didn't know that and I hope it's the only thing I got wrong on the night from a safety point of view. I usually did shout things like, 'We're going great ladies!' or 'Keep it up folks!' or 'Are you doing OK?' on the occasions that I did cycle past anyone and I did only pass when I felt it was safe to do so! I did always shout out if there was a pothole, or if I was going to stop, or if there was a speed bump, or if there was a car needing past etc etc and I like to think most of us on the Ride did the same.

The event's raised over £850,000 so far for three fantastic charities and everyone taking part had to do their bit in contributing to the fundraising effort. If the ride and fundraising had felt like a walk in the park it wouldn't have felt like I was doing everyone - who bought the book, who donated to my Just Giving page or who inspired me to raise funds and awareness in the first place - proud.

I had so many mixed emotions throughout the night; mostly I was excited, happy and - especially when Gemma and I cycled back into Windsor to the sound of the dawn chorus and Alex cheering - chuffed to bits! But the night was also tinged with some sadness; thoughts were never far from the reason why we were all there, or from the women who'd had to pull out of the event due to illness or injury.

One of those women was Sandhy Robinson-Jones.

Sandhy survived ovarian cancer six years ago, is one of Women V Cancer's biggest supporters, encouraged many of us novice cyclists during the lead up to the event with her wit and wisdom, helped many of us with our fundraising efforts (she is the designer extraordinaire of my wee book) and had a massive brain haemorrhage a few weeks ago. She faces a long, hard fight back from the brink, yet again, and she was sorely missed on Saturday night:



This was my first cycle without Alex by my side as Ride the Night was the first 'women only' London night ride event. Having said that, Gemma and I found it a bit, well, strange that there were some men cycling in amongst the women. They appeared to be there supporting their partners but I guess I kind of felt that part of the challenge was to show that we could manage the 100km as a collective group of strong (in many different senses of the word) women. On the other hand, I don't know those particular women's stories; maybe it would've been impossible for them to take part without their men-folk there to assist.

Although he wasn't cycling with me Alex was still a massive support; not just for me and Gemma, but for many of the other women too. He stood, for four hours solid, around a mile from Windsor and clapped every cyclist that passed. My hero! It was really great for my confidence to know that I can go out and manage on my own (well, OK, not quite on my own as I had 2000 other women and Gemma by my side...), but I'm now really looking forward to getting back to our Sunday cycles!

My Hero!

I was proud of my wee girl (..nearly 23 but will always be my wee girl!). She's so very busy with many other things and had very little time to train for the cycle. After only six times on her saddle (for the first time since she really was a wee girl), with most of those times being for her 3 mile commute to work, she did incredibly well to finish the ride. Gemma also did well to put up with her auld maw's bletherings all the way round...

Get back on our bikes we did, and finish the ride we did. Ocht, it was just brilliant! And, it was my longest cycle to date! Hooray! So, I'm off now to hit Google, look for my next 'cycling event' and, of course, to register for Ride the Night 2015....!

(photo of bikes on racks courtesy of Judith Stoker)

Story 31: Mostly loving my longest ride

I managed my longest, and toughest, cycle to date today. Aw man, I absolutely loved it!

Well, actually, I didn't love it all the time... I swore my way up some of the hills, and I didn't like the taste of the extra protein provided by the flies, and I was frightened by some of the cars and lorries and buses who made me wobble when they overtook me too fast and too close...

But most of the time I really did love it...the sense of achievement when I managed to cycle all the way up some really steep or never-ending hills, the thrill of whizzing down the other side of said really steep or never-ending hills, the views, the not having a sore ass (thanks to Alex's time and patience helping me find the perfect saddle position and handlebar height last night when most normal folk would either be out enjoying themselves or sitting in front of Saturday night telly...), the best hot chocolate I've EVER tasted (in The Cocoa Mountain, Auchterarder), the camaraderie with other cyclists en route, the chit chat and laughs with Alex and the ice cold beer at the end of our 53 miles...yup, I absolutely loved it.

It's only two weeks now till the Women V Cancer 100km (62 miles) Ride the Night in London and, after today's cycle, I'm feeling much more confident about being able to manage it. This time last year I hadn't really been on a bike much since my kids were little and I never would've thought that I'd manage a fairly long ride.

I don't think I'll ever consider myself to be a serious cyclist, but I seriously do love getting on my bike. Especially when one of the stops involves a very yummy hot chocolate...

(For anyone who's interested, you can see today's cycle in more detail on my Map My Ride page)

Story 29: A first, and last, Ride the Night training cycle with Gemma

It's been a gloriously sunny Easter Weekend in my neck of the woods. My daughter Gemma couldn't have chosen a better weekend for a visit home and we couldn't have had a better weekend for our first (and probably last) cycle together before we take part in the 100km Women V Cancer Ride the Night event at the end of May.

Gemma's, em, a bit behind in her training as she's busy with many other things, but she's as determined as I am to manage the 100km and I have absolutely no doubt that she'll rise to the challenge.

I'm delighted to report that I coped OK with the toe-clips and managed not to fall off (it's early days though...) We all thoroughly enjoyed our 22 mile cycle and our bit of Jam Jar breakfast thrown in for good measure.

The next time Gemma and I cycle alongside each other will probably be on the 31st of May when we head off from Windsor Race Course into the night to ride 100km round London with 2000 other women. It'll be an incredible tour de force against cancer and it'll be brilliant to be part of it with my daughter by my side.

All we need to do now is get more cycling in so that we're fit enough to meet the challenge. Me up here in Scotland and Gemma down south in London.

Geographically apart but determined together.

Story 15: Registering to Ride The Night

An email landed in my inbox inviting me to sign up for the 'Women V Cancer Ride The Night'. I couldn't possibly resist! Especially after I managed to persuade my daughter to take part with me! It involves cycling a circular route from Windsor Race Course then all around London all through the night. I love London, especially when it's lit up at night time, and seeing it from the saddle - with my daughter (who recently moved down to London and is, ahem, about to take up cycling...) riding along beside me - amongst hundreds of other women will, I think, be a pretty awesome experience! It's not till May next year, so we've got plenty of time to prepare for cycling the 100km (eek!!) route.

Another reason I'm excited about the event is that it's helping to raise awareness of (and funds for) three different cancer charities. I guess we've all been, or at the very least know someone who's been, affected by cancer. Over the course of this past year I've lost an aunt (one year ago today actually), an uncle and a good friend from choir, all to different forms of cancer. I've also worked with many lovely people - who are either living with cancer or have lost someone to cancer - through my voluntary work at a local hospice. So, it feels really worthwhile to be signing up for something that's raising awareness and raising money towards funding research and new treatments for this horrible disease.

Having said that, I've only just finished fundraising for the STV Appeal through taking part in Pedal for Scotland, so I think I'd better wait a wee while before I set up another Just Giving page for this particular cycling event! But, in a similar vein to the wee nod I was giving my Dad by taking part in Pedal for Scotland, it seems really appropriate to be giving a wee nod to my Aunt (my Dad's twin sister) tonight by deciding to take part in the Ride the Night event.

So, there we go, another cycling adventure to look forward to. But, not till May 2014. And I'm sure I'll have one or two more stories from the saddle to tell before then...