Then there was Weardale

So...

Last time I was talking about my previous adventures on two wheels. This time, still on two wheels, I'm bringing things up to date.

When I decided on that fateful Sunday in August 2014 that I fancied a bike ride I was actually hungover following a friends hen party, I decided the mountain bike was the best bet, since my supermarket town bike had two flats.

Considering that the mountain bike is too small for me and is actually not fully functioning (it only has two working gears) I am very proud that I was able to go as far and as fast as I did. I had not cycled at that point in nearly three years and I was not the most fit I had ever been - buying my first car in April 2013 affected my fitness levels somewhat.

I went out quite a few times on that bike, I got the tyres sorted out at the local bike shop and I was on my way, but the more I cycled, the more I thought about how much more I could achieve with a better bike. I completed six bike rides on that bike between August and December 2014. Not an amazing record by anyone's standards but still - better than no rides at all!

Mountain biking near my house convinced me that I wanted to take cycling further so the search began for a new bike. I had my eye on a few racing bikes on eBay, visited some local cycle shops and most importantly read up about what it was I should get! I also sought advice from cyclist friends and finally decided that I would like a road bike that was as lightweight as possible (considering all of the hills in the area) for my £300 budget.

My friend found a secondhand mens 56cm Specialized Secteur that was for sale for collection in Hexham and initially I was quite apprehensive since I had only been on a road bike once before. Would I like the riding position? I'm 5"11 -was it the right size for me? What if I didn't understand the gears! I wasn't going to bid but something compelled me so I bid and won the bike for £320.

I read into the differences between mens and women's bikes and though some may disagree I thought that they weren't massively significant. Also, being quite tall with very long legs, I need a decent sized bike and I didn't find that many women's bikes were the right size/price.

Since the new bike coincided with the new year and reflection on goals and everything - I decided to make a realistic goal for 2015.

I am going to cycle from my house in Wolsingham up the dale to St John's Chapel and potentially to Killhope. This will not sound like a massive challenge to some people but it is a challenge for me. In the main I am cycling for fitness but also to enjoy time outdoors and to challenge myself. I have decided that I am not going to make huge challenges to cycle across country. All I want to do is make it to St John's Chapel at some point in 2015.

I have recently discovered - in the last two years or so - a huge appreciation and love for being outside and getting active. I had genuinely never really experienced that but I realised how lucky I am to live in an area of 'outstanding natural beauty' with excellent challenges (and stunning scenery) at my doorstep.

I want this blog to be quite relaxed, I'm racing myself, challenging myself and I am not ashamed to put my dismal MPH etc on the internet - hopefully it will get faster - but that is not my goal.

My goal is simple: St John's Chapel.

Kimberley

In the beginning there was Turin.

Hi.

I'm Kimberley. I'm 27 and I live in County Durham in the North East of England. I am a cyclist and I want to talk a little about that.

This blog will be dedicated to me writing stories about my cycling progress and goals. I recently bought a Specialized Secteur and am going to be tackling Weardale's hills this year - the ultimate goal being the dizzying heights of Killhope.

Before I get to that though...

A good place to start is to tell you that I am new to road bikes but I am not new to cycling. I survived ten months of cycling in the Italian city of Turin. On arrival in Turin I went to the flea market and bought myself a beat up old town bike. I loved that bike. Back then I was all about the looks. I wanted a bike that looked beautiful that I could hang a basket on and I am not ashamed to say it.

You can see how happy I was with my lovely bike below.

I spent a few blissful months cycling around the city, working as an Au Pair, and enjoying the largely flat and decent network of cycle paths. A few months of use and the bike started to fall to bits, I remember two things about it: it was heavy and things fell off of it!

After one of the brakes fell off (seriously) I upgraded to a less good looking but more practical town bike (pictured below) that we bought in a supermarket. That was a good bike and I still have it in the garage at home - I recently pinched the pedals from it but that's another story. Again though it was very heavy and it was just not practical - or big enough - as I would later come to understand.

Not the best picture but you should notice the basket ;)

During my time in Turin I really started to get into cycling, the public transport network there, trams and crammed buses, made cycling the best option for me. Turin was a city of cycling firsts. I bought my first adult bike, with the basket I had always dreamed of, witnessed my first live cycle race in the form of the Giro D'Italia, had my first cycling accident when I was knocked off the bike by a man running a red light AND had a bike stolen too! I was very lucky that year in that I was able to attend both the opening and closing ceremonies of the Giro (not that I look too impressed about it below)!

Turin is a fast paced and at first terrifying city to cycle in. I am very glad that I started my cycling career exasperatedly dashing across the busy piazza near my house. I witnessed several car crashes and cant count the number of times that I found myself swearing & avoiding death whilst trying to get from one point to the other. The cycle paths were great but were mainly central. As soon as you deviate from the paths and mingle with the motorists you're in genuinely dangerous territory. Once I became more confident though I used to cycle to the Parco Valentino and I could happily ride around there for an hour or so - it is a vast park near the River Po with long wide paths and no traffic!

I moved back to the UK in July 2011 and did not cycle (regularly at least) until August 2014. This was mostly due to living in Durham City. Durham is a small city, I could walk to work or get the bus service out of town once our offices moved, I lived at the top of a very steep hill and I admit that I wasn't wild on the idea of cycling in heavy traffic again.

In 2014 I moved back out to the beautiful area of Weardale. I don't know why but in August 2014 I reviewed my bike situation and found that my best option for a ride was my brother's old mountain bike. A few repairs here and there and I was out on my first ride.

This is where things really began to take off but I'll save it for the next post.

I leave you with this picture taken at the Balon Flea Market in Turin sometime in 2011!