BIKE Magazine February 2022 Vorige editie

Ever feel like winter-riding is akin to martyring yourself for what you love?
Then you probably have something in common with St. Valentine – or at least one of them.
It can be hard out there for the final months of winter, early starts and an early-setting sun; grabbing those daylight hours and covering those frosty miles.
But it’s what we love, right? And maybe the darkest days of February spawned the Saint’s day of love to give us some hope while enduring those difficult conditions?
Originating as a Christian feast day, honouring possibly ‘one or two’ early Christian martyrs (named Saint Valentine), it later became, through folk traditions, a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world.
There are a number of martyrdom stories associated with St. Valentine(s), throughout history and connected to February 14th.
One includes an account of imprisonment for helping the persecuted, one involves restoring sight to the blind while imprisoned, one features performing weddings for those forbidden to marry, and in one, St. Valentine writes a letter to his jailor’s daughter signed “Your Valentine” as a farewell before his execution.
Life was tough in the olden-days, but is perhaps a reminder of what we can accomplish when striving for what we love, and sacrificing a little something to go those extra miles.
I hope you enjoy this issue and feel suitably inspired to get out on your bike. If you’ve had any adventures of your own, or have any other cycling related news, views and stories you’d like to share, then please don’t hesitate to contact me at barnaby@bike-mag.com
Get on your bike, have fun, be safe.
Thanks,
BD