Cyclists are multiplying

When I started cycling into the village early this year, the only other cyclists I saw were a mum from playgroup with her daughter on a tag-a-long, a couple of “older” ladies on old bike and a gaggle of children on their way to school.

Actually, I did see one other cyclist but I sometimes wonder if I’d drunk too much home-brew - how else to explain a fat, ginger-bearded man riding a bike past the croft while wearing nothing but a kilt and wellies?

But I digress.

For much of the past eight months, I’ve become accustomed to seeing a small, regular band of local cyclists, joined occasionally by people on cycle tours or club members doing a road run.

I’ve been flagged down most days by people interested in our Kangaroo bike, who have wanted to know why I cycle, how good the bike is, how much it cost and so on.

But our little coterie of village cyclists has barely changed.

That all changed today.

I was riding down a side street towards the local school on the nursery run and stopped at the junction with the main road to allow, yes, a mountain bike to pass in front of me.

But not just a normal mountain bike - a bike ridden by a mum with her toddler in a trailer behind. The mum gave me a big smile and a wave as she went by.

That would have made my day in itself, but more was to come.

I crossed the main road, headed down the next side street and was faced with another mum on a mountain bike - this time with a toddler on a bike seat.

Cue more waves and smiles.

I turned left into the road behind the school and spotted the other regular cyclist duo doing the school run - mum, daughter and bike with tag-a-along.

The Wee ‘Un was enormously excited by this point, he’d seem three other children being transported by bike and thought this was “super cool”.

He’d have been even more excited if he’d stayed on the bike with me, but he had to go into nursery.

Having dropped him off, I rode around the corner and paused at the next junction - to allow a different mum on a mountain bike with a trailer and toddler to go past!

I cycled out and as I joined her at the next junction - to more smiles and a nod - I spotted a woman in her 30s cycling along the road. No child this time, but yet another cyclist.

The best moment was realising that the cyclist mum and I at the junction had a queue of five cars behind us while another two cars had slowed behind the woman cycling along the main street.

And this made a point I keep banging on about - cyclists and pedestrians have to reclaim the streets instead of giving in to fear and letting motorised transport rumble over everyone.

The more of us who do it, the more we are noticed and the safer we are. And it’s also a good thing for motorists to learn a little more patience!

Anyway, I took the left toward the shops while the mum and toddler took the right.

As I rode up to the shops, two of the “older” ladies who cycle were stopped chatting to each other while a man in his 20s rode a very slick looking mountain bike past us. More smiles and nods all round - quite a change from passing motorists.

The final encounter came as I headed out of the village and as I started to crank it up ready to tackle the hill, who should come hurtling down it on a mountain bike? None other than our recently retired mechanic who looked about 15 years younger than he did a month ago!

It was a magnificent day - 10 cyclists out and about in the village in a highly visible manner, having a good time, and all setting a good example of how to be green, courteous and friendly on the roads.

Of course, I should write a disclaimer. It was a very sunny day, with just a hint of breeze to keep people cool so it was perfect for cycling.

I’ll be truly chuffed if I can see the same sight in the dead of winter.

Here’s hoping all cyclists I spotted today continue putting foot to pedal, continue to choose cycling over motorised transport, and turn their cycling into a habit spreads to even more people.

Pedal power!