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Cycling Strong

Stories of strength, health and cycling

Fit First Women’s Bike Fit

If you’ve never had a bike fit, this is your hint that you need to book yourself in and get one. If you suffer any pain from riding or after riding (not talking about sore seat bones), moreover the same pain time and again, chances are your bike isn’t set up correctly for you. Only by going through this process did it make me realise how male dominated the cycling industry still is. If you are a woman, chances are you’ve been sold a bike which is too big for you. And if you get pain every time you ride your bike, you might not know why and just think it’s how it is and give up. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Please note that not all bike fits are made equal. They can vary from someone putting a book between your legs and measuring you, to bike shops that have a static bike that they use to take measurements, to someone who is a cyclist, trained in physiology, biomechanics and has vast experience. To be really good at bike fitting takes more than doing a 3 day course. Of course, the experience is something that you will pay more for but I can’t stress enough that getting it right is the difference between riding comfortably and getting the most output out of your bike or finding a bike frame that’s roughly the right size.

I’ll admit that I was a cynic to begin with. I did not realise the detail that went into a full bike fit and I was nervous. My experience was with Andy Fenn at Bicycle in Richmond and he did a fantastic job. I was asked to bring my bike and arrive in bibs with my cycling shoes. Firstly Andy took my height measurements and asked lots of questions – how long had I been cycling for, did I have any previous injuries, what was the reason for the bike fit. He went on to measure my feet, my arches and see if there was any underpronation or supination. He put me on a phsyio table and assessed how my hip and ankle joints moved and their flexibility. He then took measurements from my existing bike set up and set the rig to be exactly the same.

women's bike fit

Using adhesive dots he was able to video my riding style and assess it from 360 degrees. I had been suffering with pins and needles in one arm and a bit of aching in my wrists. My current handlebars were too wide for me so Andy suggested changing them for narrower bars. However the immediate game changer for me was the use of insoles in my cycling shoes. I didn’t even know it was a thing. As someone who has always had issues with shoes because of long, narrow feet (I measure A/B width) it was like I was suddenly aware of my feet again, instead of them just sloshing around in my shoes. The result of this was more power!

My existing cranks were also a little too long so these needed to be changed eventually. After altering my position, making small adjustments, Andy had managed to give me my best set up on my existing bike, as well as making recommendations for the new bike I wanted to purchase. He spent a good 3 hours with me, at no time did I feel rushed and he explained everything he was doing and why. As a result of my bike fit I came away with a data sheet, my bike set up exactly as it should be and the knowledge I needed to order my new bike in the correct size which prevented me from making a costly error.

Navigating Hormones, Finding Balance, and Starting Over

2023: Seeking Help and Understanding

After years of feeling lost, I finally decided to consult a private menopause specialist. By this point, I was 48, well into perimenopause, and emotionally drained. My confidence was at an all-time low, and I felt like I had lost the person I used to be. I booked an online consultation with a doctor who was based in Kent. Whilst she was lovely and helpful, you cannot beat an in person consultation, although she did start me on my journey with using HRT. She prescribed me 25mcg estrogen patches along with cyclical progesterone. I started using them and began to feel better almost immediately, however this only lasted for a few months before I started feeling off again. Life was a hormonal rollercoaster. I felt so low, worthless, unattractive with no purpose in life. It was a really dark time. My very supportive husband suggested I needed more help and found a specialist GP close by.

The new specialist explained that the hormone therapy I was on wasn’t strong enough to stabilise my levels now that I’d reached 49. She prescribed a higher dose of estrogen (75mcg), carried on with the cyclical progesterone, and added in a transdermal testosterone gel—something I hadn’t realised women needed but now see as a game-changer. Testosterone has been pivotal for improving my confidence, mental clarity, and overall vitality and it helps women with bone density and muscle mass, so pretty fundamental.

It was a relief to learn that I wasn’t alone. Losing professional confidence is a common issue for women at this stage of life. Hearing that even airline pilots and barristers experience this was validating. I wasn’t broken; I just needed the right support.

Rebuilding Myself, One Day at a Time

I was lucky enough to be in a position to pause my career and focus on healing. I started cycling more, lifting weights, and prioritising my mental health. My husband introduced me to creatine, which has helped boost my energy and mood. Slowly, I tapered off my antidepressants, regaining my ability to feel emotions fully. It was like coming back to life.

Now, I’m focusing on patience. I’ve learned that healing isn’t instant—confidence takes time to rebuild. But cycling remains my sanctuary. Every ride reminds me that I’m stronger than I think, capable of pushing through hills both literal and metaphorical.

I share my story not for sympathy but to show that help is out there. If my journey resonates with just one person and inspires them to seek support, then sharing this has been worth it. Menopause is tough, but with the right tools and support, we can navigate it and emerge stronger. I have added some resource links to my blog so if you need to check them out please do and please don’t feel alone, you aren’t going through this on your own.

The Rollercoaster of Perimenopause and Rediscovering Myself

2019: The Beginning of My Menopause Journey


I never imagined when menopause symptoms might creep into my life. At 44, it blindsided me. One night, I went to bed feeling fine and woke up having a full-blown panic attack, something which I’d never experienced in my life before. I thought I was dying. My husband had to rush me to the nearest emergency clinic, but after a series of tests, nothing was conclusive and the doctors put it down to severe dehydration. They didn’t even mention perimenopause.

At the same time, my confidence at work began to crumble. As a professional wedding photographer, I had loved my job for over a decade, but something had shifted. I second-guessed myself constantly, and the stress became unbearable. I decided to step away from weddings, but I never connected my anxiety to perimenopause.

A visit to my GP led to a prescription for antidepressants, menopause wasn’t even discussed. Initially, they plunged me into a terrifying spiral of panic attacks and intrusive thoughts. Slowly, things improved, but I still felt far from normal. Then, in 2020, COVID-19 arrived. I lost my Mum that April, and while the antidepressants dulled my grief, the pandemic gave me an unexpected break: I cancelled my wedding bookings, refunded deposits, and felt relief despite financial strain. Yet, I was treating the symptoms, not the cause.

Discovering Cycling
Around the same time, my husband suggested I try cycling. It was a return to something I’d loved as a kid but had long since abandoned. He bought me a gravel bike – a great compromise between riding on and off road. My first outing on the gravel bike was nerve-wracking—I felt unsteady and out of control, nothing like when you’re a kid and can just jump on without any fear. But despite my fears, I loved the freedom and the feeling it gave me.

Cycling became a lifeline. Over time, I gained confidence, navigating traffic, experimenting with clip-in pedals (and falling a few times!), and tackling longer rides. Cycling wasn’t just exercise; it was therapy. It emptied my mind of everything except the moment and reconnected me with nature. It showed me that I could overcome challenges and gave me a sense of accomplishment I had never felt before.

By 2023, cycling had become an integral part of my life. It helped me stay active, clear my mind, and build resilience, but other parts of my life still felt off. My emotions were flatlined from antidepressants, and I had no sense of purpose. I knew I needed more than just cycling to feel whole again.

Wild Cycles Autumn Gravel

©markovichjames

I haven’t done a great amount of gravel riding but when I do I always enjoy it. It’s another level being able to take your bike off road and see things you wouldn’t usually see, and when you do it with friends, it’s even better!

The meeting point was Church Farm Cafe (formerly Musette) just outside the beautiful village of Aldbury. A lovely cafe, perfect for cyclists and my first but not last visit. There were two routes available, a 38km and a 50km. I opted for the 38km as I didn’t want to be out all day. I met my friends Nunziella & Alessandro who I’d previously met on the Moloko London to Brighton ride.

Riding conditions were perfect, no wind and a chill in the air. It’s been pretty dry so there wasn’t a lot of mud either which was an added bonus. We set off on the adventure riding trails in the edge of forests before riding into the Ashridge Estate. The trees looked incredibly beautiful and there were so many leaves covering the floor. We came across runners, horses, dog walkers but all were polite and courteous. The riding was great, just my cup of tea. Then we get out to Ivinghoe Beacon and the view was breathtaking. We cycled along the tops and back up through Ashridge and then past the stunning Ashridge House.

It wouldn’t be an adventure without a mechanical (fortunately not me this time) so it was good to be riding with someone who knew what they were doing and had every conceivable piece of equipment! We finished the ride and then it was lunch back at Church Farm. I’m really looking forward to my next gravel adventure! Big thanks to Wild Cycles for organising such a great event.

Gravel cycling Chilterns © copyright The Bike Challenge

Welcome

Welcome dear reader! After thinking about this for along time I wanted to start a blog. My passion for cycling, nature, and photography has always been a big part of who I am. These things have given me joy, resilience, and balance. Recently, though, I’ve been navigating the journey of perimenopause—something that, like many women, I wasn’t entirely prepared for.

It’s been a time of both challenge and growth. I wanted to share these stories alongside my cycling posts in case this helps anyone out there. If I can make just one person aware and help, then it’s worth me taking the time to share my experiences.

So, if you’re here for the cycling, the nature photography, or just the honesty of real-life experiences, thank you. This is still a space for adventure, inspiration, and health—but it’s also a space for being real about life’s transitions.

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