Can I borrow your bike Dad?
I’m off to Stratford with the ladies…
Hi, I’m Sally and this is my Stourbug journey.
It was January 2009 and I was recovering from a serious illness. Our business had been sold and I was looking for a hobby. I needed to get fit and improve my social life, and for me Stourbug did both.
It was The Longlands Tavern in the old quarter of Stourbridge where I signed up, together with about 70 other ladies, and the plan was to cycle from Stourbridge to Stratford-upon-Avon, a distance of 50 miles in one day. At that time I didn't even have a bike, and so I borrowed my Dad’s, and to be honest I’ve never looked back.
Since that day back in 2009 I have cycled some 77,000 miles and I’m proud of my 12 years as Membership Secretary for Stourbug. I’ve stepped back a bit recently but I’m still a ride leader as I really enjoy getting people together and organising group rides at least once a week which is great fun. I love the social side of being in Stourbug too and have helped at the BBQ events in the summer, I’ve cooked sausages over a campfire in the autumn and I’ve ridden with a number of ‘Santa Clauses’ when we do our Christmas-themed cycling in the winter.
And the regular Stratford ride that we do takes me back and reminds me of how it all started!
Me and my partner Patrick, who is also a Stourbug member and a keen rider, love travelling so we’ve enjoyed cycling in Majorca on several occasions, including the infamous ‘Sa Calobra’, a 6 mile 7% incline climb, and closer to home the ‘Coast to Coast’ in Cumbria. By 2013 together with 5 other ladies and 3 men I was confident enough to cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats, a distance of 1065 miles and in 30 degrees of heat, nice weather for the UK for sure, but an added challenge when cycling. We were very pleased to be able to raise a considerable amount of money for charity, mine being The Brain Tumour Charity.
Without Stourbug none of this would probably have happened, and who would have believed that the £8 membership fee in 2009 would have shaped my life the way it has - money well spent I think.
Nowadays, my knees aren’t as good as they used to be, and so I’ve converted to using an electric bike, but I’m still in Stourbug and I still enjoy my cycling.
So to anyone who says “I couldn’t do that”, just give it a go and see what you can achieve, because if I can, then anyone can.