CYCLING WAS ALWAYS A PART OF ME

My name is Aleksandra, I'm 27 and I live in Warsaw, Poland

Do you have a training routine, or do you do it according to your current wishes? God no! First of all - cycling has never been a matter of training for me, but a chance to explore the new routes and just spend time outside & socialize! So, yes - definitely all is dictated by my current wishes, mood, etc. It’s true, that in Warsaw we don’t really have much of a choice when it comes to routes or landscape (flatland, flatland everywhere!!) and you always have to add those extra +20 minutes to get out of the city and find yourself surrounded by nature (and other cyclists;)) So maybe this lack of options is what actually makes my cycling a bit routine-like, but I always try to vary each itinerary even a little bit! New corner, new coffee stop, new people to cycling with? Sure, I am always up to discover the unknown :)

How have you progressed in cycling? Did you join a club, get a coach, make friends? My road cycling adventure and true progress started two years ago when I moved for 8 months to the beautiful French Riviera, where I got a 6-months contract at a local event agency. This was like a dream come true - I couldn’t pick up a better spot to progress in cycling! Thanks to Cappuccino Rides - a no-drop type of rides organized weekly by Cafe du Cycliste (THE place when you wanna make new cycling friends, do some networking, sip good coffee and find classy cycling apparel for your rides) - I had a good start on new soil and mingled into local cycling community. After some time local hills were not a challenge anymore - it all felt so right as if I have always belonged here.

How do you define yourself today as a cyclist? Romantic cyclist - I have a certain level of experience in cycling and good overall fitness, but I am also aware of my weaknesses and I am perfectly fine with them :) I would never sacrifice everything to become pro or triathlete. I like to enjoy an occasional pizza or beer post-riding and I don’t see what’s wrong with that as long as we don’t abuse! ;) As Sagan says…”Why so serious?” La dolce vita! 

Have you made any changes to your diet or lifestyle since you started cycling? Yeah...I quit smoking for good ! (although I was never a heavy smoker, still had this guilty pleasure of an occasional smoke). And I actually quit following a very strict diet - I knew that as long as I will stay active I could eat (of course not overeat) almost everything I wanted.

What advice would you give to a woman who wants to start cycling? Just do it! Don’t wait for an invitation, better weather, for better mood or different circumstances. All starts first in your mind - stop finding excuses and question everything. So if you really want to get into cycling, look for a group of female cyclists (try browsing local cycling groups on Facebook or ask in local bike shops if there are some easy cycling rides organized?) OR if you prefer to ride solo, but still you are not sure if you will manage, let me solve that one for you - you will do GREAT! :) Just put on your fitness outfit (you don’t have to spend a fortune on a brand new bike nor fancy clothes - important is to START), put on a helmet (safety first!), check if your tires are firm, grab a bottle of water and GO! You don’t have to force - just start with casual rides and don’t push too hard if you don’t feel like it. Find your own rhythm and everything will fall in the right place :) 

What is the most beautiful spot where you have ridden? The place I once called home...definitely la Côte d’Azur wins the prize! Col de Braus being my favorite ride of all time, I think.

Can you share with us the cycling memory that you enjoyed the most? Yes, with pleasure! September 2019 I organized my very first cycling trip for a small group of my French friends from French Riviera. I invited them to visit me in Krakow (the second biggest city in Poland) and we went together to the Tatra Mountains. I keep truly vivid memories of this experience, especially that it was my organizational debut! We were very lucky with the weather too - till the last minute the forecasts were keeping up the pressure pretty high, announcing a full week of rain! This memory seems even more precious now when we are not allowed to travel due to COVID-19.

And the last question for the community when you go cycling in your area, do you have any nice ravito addresses to recommend to us? Of course! There is only one cycling cafe to all cyclists from the neighborhood and an absolute must-see. It’s located 30 km away from Warsaw, which makes it the ultimate go-to spot. It’s maybe not this busy as in the picture below, but if you come there on the sunny Saturday on Sunday you will definitely have to queue for a while. Góra Kawiarnia has been set by an ex-pro cyclist Maciej Grubiak, who used to train hard, but finally decided to abandon his career in sports. Since then he only rides occasionally, for himself and not for the title. His minuscule cafeteria became legendary even months before an official opening. It really is THE place to visit and THE CAKES are there to indulge and then cycle them off!

You can follow Aleksandra on Instagram : @shesacyclist