Nothing to say, Something to see

Gina doesn’t like to have her photo taken, so this is a rare event, and a token of her commitment to raising money for these excellent causes.

This is what she looks like – cycling in the alps on this occasion, and taken at the very respectable elevation of 1,894 meters at Hahntennjoch. Quite a climb.

Hahntennjoch

If you’ve only ever ridden on a carbon fibre or aluminium you might assume that weightiness is only a characteristic of those really cheap bikes that you see for less than a hundred quid on Amazon. The ones that give no pleasure, and you wouldn’t want to ride in a million years. That isn’t so. Touring bikes, even the really expensive ones, are pretty hefty too. I have an Ultra Galaxy – it’s not cheap, and it isn’t light either. The same applies to the Raleigh Royale and Thorn tourers that my mum prefers. They’re heavy because they’re made of steel, they’re made of steel because they need to carry heavy loads and be comfortable for mile, after mile, after mile. More than 1,000 of them on this journey. There’s a very good reason that the suspension on your car is made of steel – it springs! The one thing that they don’t need to be is fast. Just quick enough.

Gina’s Thorn (and her tent)

If I was going to place a bet (and, really, I know no more than you do right now), I’d bet that she’ll use her early 1990’s Raleigh Royale. The frame, Reynolds 531, is sturdy and has done tens of thousands of miles. Just about everything else has been replaced at some point – the groupset, with the exception of the shifters and brake levers, has all been replaced.

The top tips that I’ve taken from my mum are that cleats are for people who don’t mind falling off their bike in an emergency (we both use Token pedals with toe clips and Quoc Pham cycling shoes), and that the best tyres for cyclists who don’t want to sit by the side of the road are Schwalbe Marathon.

The bicycle is just as good company as most husbands and, when it gets old and shabby, a woman can dispose of it and get a new one without shocking the entire community.

Ann Strong