Thoughts from an adorable mum

So says Marzia, new Rimini mum and founder of the mammaebici.it blog, a woman who loves to start her day with a cycle ride and a breath of fresh air. For Marzia it is precisely her bicycle which has given her back that feeling of freedom which she had to set to one side when her child was born.

Cycling has given her an oxygen boost on long, tiring days, tone when her body felt weighed down and weak, a bit of fun after many sleepless nights. And then she found that cycling with her little one in the child seat is even better! After a little bit of initial effort it was all definitely uphill from there and this is why Marzia decided to add some accessories to her bicycle: an officially approved helmet, a baby blanket for the cold, a large basket, a limited edition Ta+too Wild saddle designed by illustrator Francesca Sanna which is so well suited to her lifestyle.

The comfort it adds to her cycling trips is so great that she and her little one struggle to leave it in the garage even in the coldest months. And do you know why? Because there are so many positives to a life spent in the saddle.

These are the ones she has identified:

• there's no need to leave eight hours early to find a car parking space;


• you avoid traffic jams, screams and moans inside the car, long waits at traffic lights. You are as free as the wind!;


• eliminating that unspeakable to-ing and fro-ing from the boot of the car with the pram was one of the main reasons behind her decision to take to her bicycle;


• the days are numbered for child car seats too. Tied to those instruments of torture her child stopped screaming only when they arrived at destination. By bike, on the other hand, her child's attention was captured continually by a myriad of diverse stimuli. It is an entirely different way to travel;


• there's no need to go to the gym. If you cycle you're getting exercise every day in an ongoing, relaxed way;


• you don't notice the cold anymore, not even in mid winter. Movement generates heat and don't be worried if you come across Marzia in a T-shirt even in mid winter;


• good moods are 'almost' guaranteed. Cycling produces endorphins which make us better looking, happier and less anxious;


• you can sing at the top of your voice in the open air...
  
  At the end of the day each one of us has excellent reasons to prefer handlebars to a steering wheel. What are yours?