It doesn’t matter who you happen to be, whether it’s Mark Beaumont, Josie Dew, Alastair Humphreys, Fred Bloggs or even (dare I say) Andrew P. Sykes, if you’re intent upon embarking on a long-distance cycling adventure of your own, at some point you need to move out of your comfort zone, push the bike out of the garden gate and set off cycling, however uncomfortable that may feel, initially at least. That’s what Abigail Melton and Lilith Cooper decided to do and they’ve just written about their experiences as first-time cycle tourists in a new book called Gears For Queers.
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Great to hear Abi and Lilith’s enthusiasm!
I’ve been part of several tribes over the years (musicians, actors, journos, academics…). Some tribes have different plus-points to others (musicians give the best parties!). But I find cycle tourers are almost without exception the nicest, most supportive people. No sense of competition, smirking at your mistakes, or trying to top your stories (yes, some actors, I’m thinking of you!).
I guess it’s because, as self-contained, self-supporting tourers, we’re all happy doing our own thing, but also delighted to get inspiration from others, whether they’re super-adventurers like Mark Beaumont, or first-timers like Abi and Lilith were when they did Amsterdam to Montpellier. ๐