Hugo Wilson Editor

The day we spent riding bikes for the group test photographs in this issue was cold and almost universally grey, but at about 4pm, just as we were lining up to do the cover shoot, low sun broke through the cloud. And so Bike magazine’s formation riding team lumbered into action (we still haven’t perfected the human pyramid or leaping through flames, but are quite good at following a photographer’s car), Jason’s cameras clicked and we got a fantastic photo. So good we couldn’t resist using it, or variants of it, a few times. Knowing that we’d got a great image was good, but that sunshine also felt symbolic too. From where we were, on a quiet B-road in Rutland, you could almost smell the coming spring and the idea of summertime suddenly seemed plausible. Even if we were wearing textile suits and long johns, with the heated grips turned on too.

It’s time to put away the thermal undies and make plans, and mine start on 1 April. I’m taking the day off work and booking a morning MOT test for my Honda. After that, I’ll go online and tax it (because even on April fool’s day it’s going to sail through the MOT, right?) and then I’m going for a big ride. It feels like this past winter has gone on forever, but spring is finally here. There are roads to ride, places to go and races to watch.

Take a look at the events guide on page 47 and start daydreaming. I’m marking up my diary with races, festivals and spectacles that I want to see this summer. I’ve never done Dragstalgia, a West Country hill climb or an Irish road race, so hopefully 2022 will be the year. In my head I can taste the ice cream and feel the sun on the back of my neck. Enjoy the issue.