Welcome to CCC Introduces, our series spotlighting our amazing community of contributors.
From: Cape Town
Lives: Cape Town
Instagram: @_richgreg
Tell us about yourself
Hey! My name is Richard Gregory and I'm a 28-year-old illustrator from Cape
Town, South Africa and I love riding my bike! I’m from a small community in
Cape Town called Macassar and most of my days involve going for bike rides
(everywhere) and drawing (for business and pleasure, haha).
What do you love about cycling?
I love how cycling helps me process and heal. I think everyone experiences
a sense of freedom on a bike and for me riding has helped me get out of my
head a bit and breathe. I battle with anxiety and I think since I've started rolling
around, processing thoughts and creative ideas have become a lot easier. - I
hope that makes sense. haha but I just love it man, and it's a gift that I never
wanna take for granted. Also, it’s just fun, especially riding with different
people. It also hurts and sucks a lot of the time as well, but you end up loving
the suffering, the horrible climb up always brings a lovely downhill roll.
What barriers have you faced in cycling?
I'm fairly new to cycling so there haven't been a lot of barriers that I have
experienced, but as a bigger guy, there are small things you notice. Like how
cycling clothing most of the time looks like they're designed for slimmer
bodies and not bigger people. It's a weird one because everyone's body shape
is different, but I hope more people who aren't a size extra small decide to ride
a bike, it's so much fun and so good for you. It can also be a bit pricey, even
at an entry-level, the costs are quite high.
Why were you interested in contributing?
To be honest at the start I wasn’t even sure, when you hit me up and got in
touch I think it was just a general opportunity to connect with others. I cycle
alone most of the time and I think CCC is an opportunity to connect with
different cyclists from around the world, and hopefully, one day meet them.
Your fondest memory on the bike?
My fondest memory on a bike is probably this one solo ride I did a while
back. 100km in Cape Town. It was a scenic beautiful ride. Mostly on the road but I
just felt at peace. The legs gave out at 85km but I literally stopped at KFC for
some chicken and chips to refuel. Sometimes it’s also just the short ride to
the store that can bring lots of joy. Just trying to have some fun on the bike.
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