Gerryattrick

I rode bikes a lot until my late 20s then family stuff & other sports got in the way. I sold my bikes and then, when I reached 60, I decided that cycling would be a good way to keep fit in retirement, so bought a couple of old bikes, made one good one up and started again.

Not long after that my wife got taken seriously ill, spending 10 months in hospital, one month in a coma. The first few weeks went by in a daze – I was on autopilot hospital visits, unable to rest throughout the day – and my family persuaded me I couldn't go on like that, and that I had to get out of the house more often.

So I signed up for a charity bike ride for the hospital in a few months time and went out riding every day for between 1 & 2 hours. I think it saved my sanity, just the rhythm of the riding and the peace of the countryside. I collected more than £1350 ($2000). I've kept the riding up, although not every day, and still enjoy every ride.

To fill my days I also got back into bike renovation and in addition to the riding I've built up all my own bikes, sold more than 40, and now volunteer at a community bike workshop.

So I really do owe a lot to bikes and biking.

P.S. My wife has made a good recovery and now feels confident enough to go on our first foreign holiday in five years to Italy (where I hope to go on a ride or two).