only bike I’ve had that has been like my adult life. So, I feel like yeah, like it comes with some expectations or if I turn up somewhere, you know, I feel like I’m the most basic one [laughs]. Well, yeah, I think it doesn’t really matter. And I wanted… that’s why I want to show people that, you know, you can just cycle, you know, be an Asian girl, I’m British Pakistani – so, you can just like, it doesn’t matter who you are, what you are, you can just, you can just enjoy it.

## [Transition]

Vera: Yeah, initially, I joined the club. So, cycling on my own is quite a new thing to me. And I’m still getting used to it. So yeah, initially, I rode a tandem with my partner...we’ll go on, actually, let’s just go on the path for now. We’ll go across the... little bump... Yeah, so, I got into cycling through riding a tandem. That was sort of my way into it. And then I bought my first road bike in 2018, three years ago. And that was like, okay, I want to start like, seeing how strong I am on my own, first of all, because I didn’t know, like, my partner was carrying a lot of my weight [laughs]. I knew I wasn’t very fit or strong. So, he had to work twice as hard. So yeah, so got it on my own. I joined a club because I wanted to cycle with people and also not get lost [laughs].

Yeah, so joined the cycling club. And just went on club rides and things like that. And it’s only since like, lockdown, that I started going out on my own because I couldn’t go out with people. But yeah, it’s still remained much of the same. I think it’s for me finding community. We’re going to go across. So if we just go here, and then we’ll go behind the cones.

Dulce: So what would you say the impact of cycling has been in your life?

Vera: “Impact of cycling?” Yeah, so for me, it’s like the building new relationships with people. And it’s given me a bit of a, I guess, a sense of belonging. I didn’t really do much cycling before, but like, I found a lot of good people I get on with, not necessarily because of like cycling, but it’s like, it’s been great for that community. And I think the biggest bit for me is the mental resilience, I think, that’s the impact it’s had. It’s like, just the pushing up the hills and the tough bits of it… is one of the toughest things I’ve like been doing.

Dulce: So do you call yourself a cyclist? Are you happy to identify as a cyclist?

Vera: Yeah, I think like, and that’s quite recent, really. I think in the last few months. I’m like, yeah, “I’m a cyclist”. I always called myself ‘an aspiring cyclist’. I don’t even know what that meant. Because I thought like cyclist means, you know, you’re like, racing or like, quite serious about it. You’re in lycra, you’re like, you know?

Dulce: But you are in lycra.

Vera: I am now! [laughs] So maybe that’s why I’m like, I’m gonna call myself a cyclist. But like, you know, my commuting. I don’t commute on this sort of bike. Yeah, I was on my basket bike. And I... what’s happening here? He’s on his phone. It’s pretty awful. Yeah, I was on my basket bike and looked like the queen. Didn’t feel like I’m a cyclist but I’m on a bike. I think I call myself a cyclist. Now.

## [Transition]

Mildred: But yeah, in terms of this, this particular path as well. I have a lot of a lot of love for it. And a lot of memories in terms of getting into cycling for the first time. It was always such a convenient way