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You don’t need all the gear to

Cycling Weekly’s Digital Editor on her first steps in cycling and advice for those just getting started

So many lifelong cyclists come from a family of bike riders. That wasn’t me. I was never sporty at school, and found bikes in my early twenties. At first, I was just getting from point to point on a rusty old hybrid. But, eventually, I upgraded and began riding down to the coast, adding one extra stop along the seafront with every ride. Soon enough, my pedalling developed a fitness motivation; somehow that snowballed into competition. As the years have rolled into decades, my relationship with cycling has changed dramatically - first it was about getting from A to B, then racing, and now it’s more about being a role model to my two daughters. When I ride on my own, getting on the bike is all about headspace.

Discovering cycling without a background in the sport meant that I made plenty of mistakes along the way. In my student days, I’d only pack snacks and spare layers into a backpack; it took me a little while to expand my provisions to include a basic puncture repair kit. Thankfully, a friend with a tube and pump came to my aid when the repercussions of that error caught me out. I think cycling has historically come with quite an intimidating image of the elite rider with all the gear. But that's not the spirit of cycling. The good news is that it’s actually pretty easy to get yourself set up with everything you need as a new cyclist.

The gear I used for this ride, which took us over my home roads around East Sussex, including up the spikey ascents of Firle Beacon and Bopeep Bostal, came predominantly from Halfords. The Boardman SLR 9.2 road bike is Halfords’ all-out performance model, featuring aero tube shapes and a C10 carbon frame. Shifting comes from a Shimano 105 Di2 groupset and the plush 30c Goodyear Eagle tyres are ready to be set up tubeless.

I’ve been cycling for over fifteen years now, so I’m confident in the kit I need to enjoy my ride, but I still remember those early days. My advice for new cyclists would always be to join a local club. Clubs are at the heart of our sport, and they’re full of individuals who just want to draw new members into our very wonderful community. A good local club will provide you with riding buddies who can motivate you, help you to navigate the roads in your area, and they’ll no doubt be able to provide all the advice you need in terms of what kit you really should invest in, and which pieces of gear you can probably forgo.

For female riders, in particular, my kit advice would always be to spend time choosing your shorts and saddle. So often I hear accounts from women who have abandoned their bikes due to discomfort. Saddle discomfort is not an unfortunate side effect of cycling, it can be eliminated, but often the path to getting there involves some trial and error. Halfords stocks a wide range of saddles, including those from brands like Selle SMP and Ergon that are known for providing solutions for those struggling. It’s worth persevering in the search for the perfect perch; cycling can bring so much to your life.

Whilst in the past, riding for me was focused on performance, now I look deeper and realise it was never truly only about speed. There are health motivations - low-impact resistance for my muscles, cardiovascular fitness. There’s the mental health side - endorphins, adrenaline, de-loading. There’s wanting to show my daughters that cycling is a sport they can build a home in. There’s the fact that cycling takes so many forms - it can get you to your destination, or take you far away from the mundane and the daily tasks and the to-do lists. And, there’s also the great outdoors. Plus, riding downhill fast is always fun.

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