Amanda and Julia challenge some friends to a game of lockdown bike bingo.

WORDS AMANDA 

PHOTOGRAPHY ROO FOWLER & AMANDA

Who else is fed up of talking about lockdown, reading about it and being in it? How many of you are ready to turn that frown upside down and put a positive spin on the whole situation? I might be overly optimistic, but I also might have a fun suggestion to brighten up one of the many Groundhog Days.

I fall into the extremely fortunate group of riders who have an abundance of trails right out of the front door. For me, lockdown has been an opportunity to explore my local area at a slower pace, maybe venture onto tame bridleways I wouldn’t bother with if I had the preferred option of riding with a group of mates, and just generally get more familiar with the place. And my bike. And myself. It didn’t take me long to realise what motivates me to ride bikes. Yes, the health benefits are great and the scenery is a treat, but it’s all about the people for me. So take them out of the equation and it can become increasingly difficult to motivate myself to get out and ride.

Icicles on bicycles

Location, location, location

 Sometime last year I made a plan for a two-day adventure with Julia Hobson and Rachael Walker. Things we have in common: we all ride Juliana bikes and we all love to socialise, meet new people and share our love of bikes and the outdoors. Things we do not have in common: location. I’m based just outside of Todmorden in Yorkshire. Julia is in Idle, just north of Bradford, and Rachael lives far away in the Surrey Hills.