IN THE BEGINNING

So where did it all begin?

This was never the intention; it wasn’t my fault that cycling grabbed me and sucked me in!

It all started with many mornings driving past cyclists on my way to work, with nothing but envy and wonderment.

Like so many people though, I did nothing about it. It wasn’t until 2017 and the passing of an old school friend that I was finally dealt the kick up the ass I needed. Life is too short to be sat idling in traffic, too short not to go out and try all those things that you’ve been wanting to do.

Thanks to the Cycle to Work Scheme, I was soon fully kitted out with my roadie ‘Norm’, locks, lights, helmet and even, dare I say it, some pretty sexy lycra!

Hitting the road was better than I’d ever anticipated. The freedom, the exploration, the views, but most importantly the head space was everything that I’d wanted and needed.

Christmas brought cleats and clipless pedals*, and there it was I’d grown into a fully fledged MAMIL, a lycra clad Strava warrior.

But there was so much more to come, and it wasn’t about big climbs and Strava segments. It started with the knowing nods of other cyclists, subconsciously saying “that’s it my friend, you’re one of us now”.

I was part of something warm, welcoming, and inclusive. This was the true gold for me, a community of friendly, like-minded individuals, a ‘society’.

Bike set-up, gear and reason for riding didn’t matter anymore, it was all out of the window. You could be smashing out sprints on your carbon fibre road bike, shredding downhills, or meandering to the grocers with a basket on the front of your city bike, we’re all one and the same, simply in our happy place – anywhere on two wheels.

This is the origin of Société du VÉLO (SDV), a brand to support and epitomise the culture of the cycling community.

No matter who you are or what you ride, SDV is for you, for us, our society!

Big love,

Tom

*Only one clip-out fail to date, but brilliantly in front of a 5-year-old girl learning to ride her bike. After which her mum commented “see, everyone falls off their bike sometimes”