There are so many reasons to cycle. We’ve made a list of what we think are 10 great things about being a female cyclist. What have we missed? Add your suggestions in the comments or Tweet us @vampercc with the hashtag #whybikegirlsrule.
ONE. Surprising people with your badass-ness and enjoying the look of amazement on people’s faces when they find out how many miles you cover under your own steam…
TWO. Collecting QOMs on Strava with the same fervour that you collected Troll Dolls and Polly Pocket back in the day…
THREE. Glancing behind to see the guy you just overtook straining to get back on your wheel and failing miserably.
FOUR. Smiling to yourself when your boyfriend/husband asks you to dial it down a bit, you’re not in a race…
FIVE. Realising that all that horse riding when you were 13 didn’t go to waste and that your core control is as sharp as it ever was.
SIX. The self-confidence of knowing that you could bury any snotty shop assistant in a TT, track lap or gran fondo… It feels very Pretty Woman.
SEVEN. Knowing that nobody looks better in a mini skirt or shorts than you do after a summer of cycling. Your quads ROCK. Your calves? Second to none. (We’ll just ignore the tan lines which have left your ankles lily white…)
EIGHT. Feeling safe in the knowledge that when the inevitable Zombie apocalypse happens and all the petrol is gone, there is no Zombie freak going to catch your bad ass
NINE. In the event of a prolonged blackout you could probably power a microwave enough to heat a ready meal with those power stats – #agirlsgottaeat
TEN. Scoffing at those exercise-averse calorie counters. There’s no need to starve yourself when you’ve burned that many calories climbing and sprinting all weekend…