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Gateway New Year

Gateway Cycling 2022
I am inspired by some of the recent Gateway WhatsApp comments regarding the camaraderie of the road and so this year I see a buddy road movie.
I’ve loved ‘buddy movies’ since seeing ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ back in the 70s. I didn’t know it was a genre then but as the years went on, I always came out of the cinema with a warm glow after a good buddy movie. Sometimes, it would be a war movie involving self-sacrifice (see ‘Sea of Sand for the best example), but, more often than not, it would be a road movie like the classic ‘The Blues Brothers’, ‘Easy Rider’ or ‘Thelma and Louise’. The physical journey in these is usually not the important part of the film, the film is about the characters, their friendships and interactions.
Surely no-one turns up on a Wednesday thinking “Oh! I must cycle St. Mary’s Lane again” (well, except Andy perhaps). No, they think I can’t wait to get in that cafe, catch up with everyone and see what Chris thinks about my new 34/ 11 left phalange (I might have made that up, with a little help from Phoebe). OK, Sundays are more about the journey and destination, but also about riding there with a group of fellow cyclists, and the cafe is an important bonding ritual.
This year, once again, we have probably been made to think a little more thoughtfully about the people in our lives. Family is always there but friendships and clubs have been harder to maintain in the last couple of years. Cycling and exercise were rightfully given a dispensation but with caveats and obviously club nights have only recently been resurrected. So, hold close what you treasure or even just value.
With all that in mind, that above wasn’t supposed to be a hard sell, think about re-joining Gateway this year. Details to follow as Peter C. won’t have read this far and I don’t want him to have an excuse.
Thinking a little more about these buddy movies now and I realise that they don’t always end so well. Butch and Sundance are probably cut down in a hail of bullets, Thelma and Louise drive off a canyon lip, and Peter Fonda and Denis Hopper are blasted with a shotgun! Sorry for the spoilers.
So with all that in mind think about wearing sunglasses in the dark for the Gateway Cycling Road Movie!
youtube its dark and we're wearing - Bing
Philip Baker

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