I started cycling as a kid, growing up in Scarborough, but my dad was very old-school and cautious. He said, “You can’t have a bike, the roads are too busy” – bear in mind, this was in 1968! Anyway, I had a part-time job, so I saved up and bought a bike regardless. Dad was good about it, in the end.
After meeting my wife, our family arrived earlier than planned, so cycling was just a social thing. I did a little bit of riding with Scarborough Paragon, but family life took precedence.
My wife passed away in 2015, and that’s when I came back to cycling properly. I was only 54 at the time, and suddenly had time on my hands, so I went out and bought a bike,…