Cycling isn’t a hobby, it’s a lifestyle. I cycle 400 miles a week. The outfit I’m wearing here is my absolute favourite. It’s a reissue of the iconic 1990s Mapei kit by Prendas – so colourful and fun, and oh-so-90s.
I can often be found at the Eureka Cyclists’ Cafe at Two Mills, just outside Chester. They have an excellent Italian coffee machine, homemade cake, and the place is stuffed with ex-professional cyclists discussing how good they were many years ago. On “special” days, the odd Tour de France professional pops in, too. Another ride I love is into west Lancashire over Rivington Pike and Winter Hill to Belmont. I’ll stop at the Chapel Cafe at Rivington, which has an old boy playing the piano and banjo.
Port de Pollença in Mallorca is one of the world’s greatest places to ride a bicycle. I love the climb to the monastery at Luc, and eating at the Calobra Hut at the top of the Sa Calobra climb. In the evenings, everyone congregates at Tolo’s in Port de Pollença – a wonderful restaurant run by an ex-professional local cyclist.
My guilty weekend pleasure used to be class-A drugs and alcohol. I left school at 16 and went straight into the music industry, touring the world as a producer. At 42, I decided it was a young person’s game. Working as a lecturer and giving up the rock’n’roll excesses has allowed me to rekindle my interest in cycling. I always did harbour ambitions to ride in the Tour de France. Maybe it’s not too late…
• Are you a Weekender? Email a photo and a brief description of how you spend your weekends to [email protected].
Source: Read Full Article