|
|
Bike Week BlogLooking Back to Cycle Forward9th June 2012Recently I discovered a beautiful old book, discovered in a secondhand bookshop - A Vagabond's Notebook by Kuklos. It is a compilation of rides written by William Fitzwater-Wray in 1908, one of the most widely-read cycling journalists of his day, who writes under the by-line 'Kuklos'. The Daily News states on the back of the Notebook that they "devote more attention to cycling matters than any other general daily newspaper". In the pre-WW1 years, cycling was booming but the roads had been emptied by the success of the victorian train expansion - writing as Kuklos he highlighted the wonderful adventures which were available on peoples' doorsteps Back then the motivation for adventure close to home was one of possibility, travel to the continent was the preserve of the privileged few. Bicycles afforded the masses the opportunity to travel further and wider than ever before. If we move ourselves to the modern day the cost of fuel is rising and the awareness of the impact of air travel on the environment is a concern to many - what better time to dust of that rusty old bike that has been sitting in the shed for too many years, take it to your local bike shop for a check-up and discover the places you would never see sat in a car. The sense of freedom afforded when freewheeling down a country lane is impossible for me to express in words, the wind in your hair, the smell of the flowers in the hedgerows and the sense of having got there under your own steam are hard to beat. We know it's good for us, it definitely saves us money and at the bottom line there is an indemic sense of fun - I can think of no better way to get your weekly dose of exercise than disguising it as a cycling adventure around the Great British countryside. So why not organise or take part in a Samsung Bike Week event next week and enjoy your own cycling adventure! James Pascoe, |
