HOW CYCLING CHANGED MY LIFE…
Lesley MacLeod, an administrative assistant from Aberdeen, only took up cycling three years ago, but she’s fast become a regular sportive rider…
HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INTO CYCLING?
“I started cycling around three years ago. My son was competing all over Scotland and I started to do some of the road trips with him, learning about bike racing, tactics and the inevitable mechanicals. Also, some of the mums from my children’s school had signed up for Ride the North, a two-day, 170-mile sportive with around 4000m of climbing.”
WHEN DID YOU KNOW YOU WERE HOOKED?
“The mums would post photos of their training rides on social media and I thought I’d like to join in. The following year I signed up for my first Ride the North. I had six months to get ready for it and my first ride was on one of my husband’s old bikes that he had lying around the garage. It was a bit too big and made my back ache, but I enjoyed it, so I felt confident buying a new bike. I knew it wasn’t going to be a passing phase.”
HOW OFTEN DO YOU RIDE NOW?
“I ride my road bike usually two or three times a week. I also have a cyclocross bike, which I’ll use this winter to explore more of the local trails around where I live. Two years ago, I started riding with a group of like-minded ladies – the Coffee Shop Cruisers. We’re not a competitive group, preferring to chat while we ride. One of my motivations was to lose the extra weight I was carrying so that I wouldn’t get dropped on the hills. I’m still working on being able to hold a proper conversation though! If I cycle at the weekend, it is usually with my husband and we’ll go out for a 60-70 mile ride.”
HOW HAS CYCLING CHANGED YOUR LIFE?
“It’s helped me become much fitter. With teenage kids at home, I was a constant taxi service, but with lockdown and an empty calendar, I found myself with more free time to cook healthy meals and exercise more. Getting into a routine has helped me on this journey and I haven’t struggled with motivation at all.”
WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR CYCLING ACHIEVEMENTS SO FAR?
“Last October, my husband and I rode our cyclocross bikes along the whole of Route 3 of the National Cycle Network from Land’s End to Bristol. I can’t wait to do the next one...”
GET IN TOUCH...
Has cycling changed your life? Email us at cyclingplus@immediate.co.uk
“I FELT CONFIDENT BUYING A NEW BIKE. I KNEW IT WASN’T GOING TO BE A PASSING PHASE”