Interviews

#YOUCANTOO⚡️ MICHELLE, RIDING AT 360°!

You Can Too: An NGNM series of inspirational stories from everyday women.

Meet Michelle, she’s an IT project manager and video content producer by trade, and a true all-rounder on the bike. She enjoys touring and Audax riding, and often switches between road, gravel and MTB rides as well as getting from A to B on a Brompton! It’s not about going fast, it’s about having fun.

Ever fancied trying a different style of riding? Why not try it? #YouCanToo⚡️ !

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve overcome?

The biggest challenge for me was right at the start, it was cycling amongst traffic. I started cycling to commute to work for exercise and for the first 4 months I was amazed each time I made it to the end of the 14km ride unharmed. While also enjoying being totally focused in the moment that it gave me. Eventually I learned how to be assertive on the bike and 7 months after I started commuting I'd bought a road bike and was planning a ride across Canada.

What 3 words would you use to describe cycling?

Fun
Freeing
Simple

We all have a person who we look up to or inspires us in cycling, who is that person for you?

Those who ride their bikes because it makes them happy.

If you could change one thing about cycling, what would it be?

The cycling industry’s obsession with being the fastest, which misses out on the joy the cycling can be.

What's your "specialty"?

I don’t have one. I love touring, Audax, commuting, climbing etc. and now off-road adventuring. It’s one of the reasons I love cycling, there are so many options.

Do you ride solo?

Yes, I ride on my own. I started out commuting. When I started road riding, I joined a cycling club, then I went road riding on my own in a nearby park (11-km circuit) and finally further afield with my Garmin that had routes I was familiar with. Finally, I went on new routes loaded on my Garmin. I wasn’t familiar with any of the areas or roads I rode on so I’ve always had to rely on navigation devices.

You see another woman cyclist coming your way you...: