This post is part of a continuing series which charts how I gained weight and then lost it. If you would like to read the story from the beginning, these posts are being indexed on the About Marchie page, as and when they are published.
I’ve covered a fair few miles on my bike since I bought it in 2009. I use it to get around town, but I’ve done quite a fair amount of longer distance riding, too. Manchester to Chester and back is a journey I’ve done many times now – the Cheshire Cycleway provides a scenic route on quiet lanes that is a very pleasurable ride.
Puente Colgante between Portugalete and Getxo, near Bilbao
I’ve done a couple of tours with Jenny; we cycled the Lleyn Peninsula and from Santander to Bordeaux in 2010, in the spring of 2011 we did a lap of Anglesey. These are great fun – the journey is the holiday. You see everything – the world doesn’t whizz past in a blur, yet you can cover long distances if you need to. You can plan if you want to, or not! Either way, it’s always an adventure. You get to meet people – it’s different, people are interested in what you are doing. If you end up lost, people will always try to help you. There’s always a story to tell when you’re done.
Start of the Staffordshire Peak Super-Grimpeur Audax Ride, August 2010
I’ve also taken part in some longer day rides – I’ve done one sportive, the 2010 Fred Whitton Challenge, however I’ve done many more Audax rides. I like Audax rides more than sportives – the whole idea is that it’s a challenge, but not a race. There is a time limit to complete the course, however there is also a minimum time – there are no winners; those who complete the ride are regarded equally, so long as they complete the ride before the cut-off point. The Audax rides are cheap, organised but with a large element of self-sufficiency. The distances involved vary from 50km “introductory rides” to anything up to 1200km or 1400km! The furthest I have done is a 300km ride from Poynton in Cheshire to Newtown in Wales and back, which start at 11pm. After this, I slept for 18 hours straight! In either case though, you do get to see some fantastic scenery!
On the Staffordshire Peak Super-Grimpeur, August 2010
So, in terms of weight loss, I don’t know how much these rides have really done for me. I think a daily routine of cycling into work rather than driving or taking public transport would be more beneficial for weight loss than the occasional long distance ride like these. Having said that, if it’s something you can commit the time to cycling these kinds of distances regularly, you will undoubtedly see some weight loss benefits. For me, these kinds of rides are good fun – I don’t do them with weight or fitness in mind, I just do them because I enjoy them. However, you can go on a touring holiday and eat like a king every night, without having to worry that you’ll have put on half a stone by the end of it!
Cotes de Boeuf in Bordeaux, August 2010