Why Cycling? Why Blogging

I started riding a bike as a kid, I had a dodgy foot so cycling around to get to places was easier than walking and mostly that's what I rode for, to get from A-B.  In my 20s, however, whilst working at the Children's Hospital in Birmingham my boss encouraged me to ride a bit more, get a better bike, enter an event and that was that. Lots of events and lots of bikes later I am still riding - still to get from A-B (I mostly commute by bike), but also to keep fit, to challenge myself, to see different parts of the country, to be sociable and to have fun. 

Until this year I have often been the only women out riding with a club or one of the few at an event, and oddly until there were more women riding I hadn't really considered that might change, or that I could do anything about it. Over the last year, however, I have joined a club where there are other women, and I felt it was about time I did my bit to encourage and support even more women to get out on a bike, to not be afraid of bikes, to consider doing their own maintenance and to enjoy riding whatever the distance and whatever the type of bike. I have also set myself some challenges this year and thought blogging about them might be fun, and you never know someone might even read the blog and get inspired to join in!? So some of the challenges and posts to come.........

• Bike maintenance - can I strip and rebuild my bike? Can I do most of the maintenance on all my bikes? What kit will I need?
• Mountain biking - was signing up for a 3 day, 200 mile, off-road event a good idea when I don't own a mountain bike or have any technical MTB skills?
• Vintage bikes - buying vintage, rebuilding and maintaining bikes and then entering the eroica britannia! Can I find a bike? Can I source all the bits and rebuild it successfully? Can I do 50 miles in Derbyshire with only 5 gears - more to the point can my parents and partner do 35 miles with only 3 gears on bikes I've done the maintenance on!?
• Cyclocross - done a bit before but never really committed to getting racing, or getting the skills - is this the year?
• Cyclosportives - a few 80-100 mile events thrown in to keep me training!
• Riding with a club - the great Velo Club Bread and Bitter - cycling, socialising and beer without any club fees, a genius idea