Simple Pleasures

Pedalling around London in the sunshine is my idea of heaven. Being taken to Look Mum No Hands for coffee really was the icing on the cake that was my morning. It's funny that, whilst negotiating pot holes and rather unfriendly traffic, including cars whose drivers decide to overtake only to immediately want to turn left, we both arrived feeling really rather content, and relaxed.

It is easy to forget the magic of cycling when you ride a bike most days, but on mornings like this, I'm glad to be able to reconnect with the joy riding my singlespeed around town gives me.

Most people know that cycling, as a form of cardio exercise is good for the body, but it has proven benefits for the mind and spirit too. It's no surprise then that cycle training organisations are setting up "cycle for health" projects around the country, designed to help a diverse variety of people get back on their bikes with confidence.

Two lattes later, puncture repaired and inner tube replaced, I was ready to head up to NW3 via the West End, taking an hour out of my not particularly busy day to potter around Marylebone High Street and two of my favourite bookshops. After some rather inevitable impulse purchases, with panniers even fuller than usual, I made my way through Regent's Park to get up into North London proper. I can't help but feel privileged to live in the city whenever I cycle past the stucco fronted Nash terraces, villas and ambassadorial residences. It certainly beats a spinning class.

www.lookmumnohands.com

Comments

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