Last weekend the Derbyshire town of Bakewell was transformed into a retro cycling haven by L’Eroica Britannia. All the classic bicycle marques of yesteryear gathered and with them came stalls selling every old school accessory and clothing item you can imagine. With hay bales for seats, constant live music and delicious local food and drink on tap, everyone had something to smile about.
The weather can be a deal breaker with any outdoor festival but this one really would have suffered in the rain. Quite a bit of the ride was on dirt roads and trails – the equivalent of the strade bianchi, or white roads, of the Italian ride – that would have been very slippery and dangerous if they’d got wet. And of course this being Britain it was impossible to know whether they were going to be until the event was virtually upon us. As it turned out, conditions were pretty much perfect.
We signed up for the mid-distance 55-mile ride, with author Tim Moore joining us for the day on his single speed 1914 Hirondelle. During the ride we realised that each of our bikes had their own strengths and weaknesses that left some riders feeling fresher than others at the finish. The choice of 22mm tubs proved particularly challenging on the off-road sections (and let’s not even mention the cobbled ford of six-inch deep water…)
The harshness of off-road descents on tired, claw-like hands was more than made up for by some sublime moments of genuine inspiration. At one point early in the ride we emerged from a long dark tunnel into brilliant sunshine and a choir singing – we thought we'd died and gone to heaven!
Surveying all that beautiful countryside and basking in the warm sunshine surrounded by beautiful old racing bikes, there were moments when it genuinely felt as though we were in Tuscany. But this illusion was shattered in the most wonderful way when we reached the food stops; Morris dancing, warm beer and pork and stilton sausages will never catch on in Italy!
Here at Simpson we love technology. We enjoy the convenience it brings to our lives and we welcome the boost it gives to our performance. The strength, stiffness and efficiency of modern bikes are truly astonishing compared to what came before them and we wouldn’t have it any other way. We eagerly adopt the latest developments in everything from shoe technology to frame materials and we bask in the glow created by the improvements they enable in our performance.
But we also believe that every now and then it’s a really good idea to set aside some of the technology at our disposal. Park the Garmin, forget about Strava, dust off the hack bike and leave the Lycra in the wardrobe. Freed from the niggling urge to improve on your segment times or nail a KOM you will have more time to take in the views around you. Unaware of your average speed you will relax into a comfortable pace that allows you to chat to the people you pass – or who pass you.
This is why we’re so excited about L’Eroica Britannia, the vintage ride we’ll be joining at the end of next week in Derbyshire. We will sit astride our heavy, unsophisticated steel bikes that were built before we were born. We’ll rejoice in our woollen shorts and cleatless shoes and we will labour up those hills and try not to go too fast downhill because our old brakes won’t work very well.
We will feel like heroes for completing the 55 mile ride and all the while we will be smiling like fools – celebrating that simplest of pleasures: riding our bikes.
Sometimes you just have to find the time to ride, however busy you are. Sunday's weather was warm, bright and sunny and the call of the road became irresistible. We left the hassle of the town for the tranquil country roads of Suffolk, heading always coastal to catch sight of the sea.
With issue 5 of Simpson nearing completion, we've also been working on other projects, which has meant our time on the bike has been severely restricted. One of the main themes of the forthcoming issue is the social aspect of cycling. It's true that there is strength in numbers – had we not committed to riding with others, the temptation that day would have been to continue working.
But there comes a time to just get out on the bike, to seize the day and immerse yourself in the adventure of a ride, especially if you’re with others. Camaraderie is such a major factor in cycling. Sure, there’s a lot to be said for riding solo but we think sharing the experience with others really adds something special.
The road is unpredictable but you follow it together through highs and lows, gruelling climbs and glorious descents, puncture breaks and food stops. And all the while the banter cements the bond between riders and turns every ride into something unique, however familiar the route.
After a long ride (almost 80 miles in the case of last Sunday) your body starts to crave food long before the ride is over. We've been really pleased by readers’ feedback about our recipe pages. Stuart 'Stuey' Wadsworth, our food editor, has literally cooked up an amazing dish idea for the demands of a ride like this.
And that brings us back to the imminent issue 5. We’ve missed being out on the road but we think the new issue was worth the sacrifice – when you see it we hope you’ll agree!
