Pedalling Through a Pandemic!

JoyRider Dawn Allott tells Carolyn Axtell how bike trips with train-mad son Jacob, 8, kept her from going off the rails… and took them all the way from Blackhorse Road to Blackpool!

Cycling has been a lifesaver for us during the pandemic. It’s been the best thing about lockdown, and has brought so much benefit (and increased fitness levels) to the whole family. 

Jacob really struggles with loss of routine. The structure of a pre-lockdown week was predictable. Suddenly everything changed – school closed and friends confined to their households. It was stressful for both of us and he didn’t know how to communicate how he was feeling. I was anxious that Jacob, who is autistic, would spend lockdown glued to a screen watching train videos on YouTube whilst I worked from home. 

When the lockdown rules were clarified to allow people with autism and learning disabilities to go out more than once a day, I realised that cycling trips would allow him to burn off some energy and be fun for me too. 

Jacob’s good at cycling, but pre-pandemic, it wasn’t something we did every day. We had never cycled further than Olympic Park and Victoria Park, and only off-road.

At first, I wondered what the incentive would be to get him out on the bike, without the usual café and playground stops. But then I realised I could use his love of trains to our advantage.

We found great places to go trainspotting. His favourite spot is at Stratford watching all the different intersecting tracks. We have learned several new routes and Jacob will sometimes choose which way we go.

What do you and Jacob particularly enjoy about cycling?

I like the physical aspect, the way it makes me feel. So far I’m a leisure cyclist, not a commuter. Jacob loves the feeling of being in motion and riding fast – he prefers to pedal in first gear to get maximum movement, as a sensory experience. 

I think Jacob likes to lead because it feels empowering and I’ve become comfortable with him riding in front. He enjoys shouting out instructions. He is a ride leader in the making and has been thrilled to lead from the front on a couple of the family JoyRides. 

How does cycling together benefit your relationship?

Jacob isn’t usually much of a talker, but when we cycle it stimulates his conversation. He will talk about the weather, things we see, how he’s feeling – he doesn’t usually tell me if he is tired, thirsty, or hungry, but for some reason he will when he’s cycling. Before lockdown I would take him to the London Transport Museum to indulge his love of trains but it’s not really my cup of tea, whereas I like cycling and I enjoy watching the trains from the bridge at Stratford and seeing how he lights up. 

Cycling together consistently over a number of weeks has definitely helped him to regulate his feelings and brought us closer together.

What role has JoyRiders played in supporting you to cycle during the pandemic?

‘The routes and photos that the JoyRiders team and participants have shared on WhatsApp and Facebook have been such a valuable gift – we saw the pictures of the ride to Abbey Road DLR and had to try it out. 

Cyclists were coming in for a lot of stick at the beginning of the lockdown, and I had apprehensions about going out for a ride. But seeing other people’s photos and knowing that others were going out cycling made me think, “it’s ok to do this, it’s a valid form of outdoor exercise” – that feeling is reinforced by the JoyRiders’ online conversations. It’s been really helpful that people share experiences of which routes are busy and at which times, as that’s what many people are concerned about. 

We have even cycled into central London twice, which I could never have dreamed of doing before the quieter roads during lockdown. To keep Jacob extra safe on main roads, he rides in the middle, between one parent at the front and the other at the back.

It’s really built my confidence in cycling with Jacob and stretched what we are able to do. It’s pushed us to become more adventurous – we have got used to doing a right turn at quite a busy junction near Stratford International and even did it with a lorry behind us last time. Before the lockdown we would have just got off and crossed as pedestrians, but I feel confident to keep doing that right turn with him now. Jacob has also improved his road sense. He understands now that he has to give way to oncoming traffic before turning right and on quiet roads I feel confident to let him do this.

What were your lockdown cycling highlights?

We did one central London ride, stopping off at 13 train stations - which was a massive hit, although Jacob was nonplussed by the Tower of London!

I’ve loved seeing him progress, seeing how much he’s enjoyed it. Exploring places we’ve never been to before. Discovering that Jacob is quite capable of cycling to the River Thames and through St James’s Park! And lastly - discovering that train drivers are the friendliest people and always happy to give a wave and toot which makes Jacob’s day.

According to my cycling app we’ve been on 28 rides and travelled over 417KM since lockdown started. If we did that all in one go, we’d end up in Blackpool!

You usually take the tube to work - will you be a cycle commuter now?

‘Pre-pandemic, fear of traffic put me off riding to King’s Cross at rush hour. But, with all the extra cycling experience I gained during lockdown, I’m giving it serious thought. JoyRiders has developed a Key Worker commuter route to central London and I’m going to try it out before the roads get too busy again.