bike. We gave it away and we didn’t think about it for, like I forgot about cycling for a while. And then my sister who is five years my senior started working and at her work they had a really big… so in our local town we had like a bikeathon, which no longer exists, but and they all used to do it so she bought herself a bike and she would go out cycling. And then for my birthday, they got me a bike and she would also use it for cycling to college, etc. And so, they got me a bike and that was where I would go out cycling with her. And Newlands Corner where I live was like this big hill and she took me out on a ride there once but I used to get quite frustrated, because it’d be too cold. It’d be too cold. Then you get to the weather where we were able to cycle, and she’d be like “oh, my hay fever’s too bad”. [laughs] So, then it kind of fell to the wayside again. And then I got really into running. And then from the running after university I got, I didn’t have a job so I’d run and cycle and a lot. And then I did… Clear! We’re just entering into Richmond Park… so, I got into the idea of “Oh, I could do duathlon” and that’s kind of where I just started expanding… … It is easier to stay together cycling than it is running and you see a lot more. And some of my favourite things I like when, I when, we’re driving every once in a while. And I see a dad and a daughter on bikes and she’s coming back from rugby practice and people using it as you know, their mode of transport and nothing excites me more than that. And if we have a family that’s the sort of life, I would like is for all of us to be cycling, because you learn quite a lot. I was able to learn to drive quicker because I was a cyclist because he was like, “oh you’re…” you know at traffic lights, he was like “you’re really good at tapering your speed” and I was like, because when I cycle, I’m clipped in and I don’t ever want to unclip! [laughs] And you know, but he was like “you’ve got good awareness of the road” and I was as like as a bike I’m very vulnerable. So… Do you know what, I’ve definitely found my voice more was as a cyclist. I was running with a friend. And someone, can’t remember what someone shouted at us, and I shouted back, and she was like “where did that come from?” And I was like, well, I’ve found my voice cycling, because I have to shout out to like, pedestrians or cars or, you know, other people to let them know that you’re there, you have to be visible. Whereas in other points of my life, I might try and shy away from being seen. And trying, you know, melt into the background. But this is the first time that I’ve been, no, for my own safety, I need people to see me. And then that has translated into life in general. And I don’t think I had until when we were running, and that was shouted at me, and I shouted back and she was like “wow”. And that was my realisation of “Oh, okay, yeah”. I’m realising that your voice is actually a really important weapon. Or not a weapon, but there is a certain level of importance to your voice.

## [Transition] Outro:

Thank you for listening to this recording. And thank you again to the Active Travel Academy as well as Beryl Bikes, who also sponsored this research. And thank you everyone who took part, who took the time to ride with and talk with me and let me use these recordings. Keep riding, keep inspiring! In the next part the conversations will go a bit deeper into discourses around cycling, gender and race, and I hope you will join us then!