NOW FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Many of the world’s best cyclists are also very accomplished at other activities – and perhaps it’s no coincidence. Dr Josephine Perry lays out a smorgasbord of sideline interests to complement your riding

- Dr Josephine Perry

Cycling gives us a strong sense of who we are. As cyclists, we’re lovers of freedom, speed and achievement. We enjoy working hard to push to the next level, and we share a sense of belonging in a sport with a deep history and culture. All of this is underpinned by the knowledge that our hobby helps keep us physically and mentally healthy. Being secure in our commitment to two wheels should give us the confidence to try other activities, since there are few more effective ways to stay fresh and hungry for more cycling.

There will always be times when riding your bike just isn’t feasible. Perhaps it’s icy outside, your bike is being fixed, you have an injury or you simply fancy doing something different. When a recent injury forced me off the bike for several weeks, I took out a new gym membership and it opened up a range of new options that I’d been too bike-fixated to notice.

After trying out a bunch of new sports, I headed back to cycling stronger and more resilient. The shake-up was mentally invigorating, and the strengths developed should help make me less injury-prone and more adaptable. Could adding in some alternative endeavours boost motivation, increase physical and mental flexibility, build different strengths and help you develop transferable skills? In this feature, we’ll take a look at seven different activities you could do alongside your riding – with a wide range of potential benefits on and off the bike.

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