It's Never Just About the Riding

The bikes are parked, the coffees are out and the legs get a little rest.

Every year, once the retreats are over and life settles back into its normal rhythm, I find myself looking back through the photos.

There are always plenty of spectacular landscapes: quiet roads winding through vineyards, medieval villages, dramatic mountain backdrops and those viewpoints that make everyone reach for their camera. They're beautiful memories, but they rarely tell the whole story.

When people ask me what my favourite part of a Soulfit Adventures retreat is, they're often expecting me to talk about the riding. The climbs, the descents and so on. And yes, those are extraordinary, but if I'm honest, they're not what stay with me the longest.

What I remember most are often the moments when the bikes are parked. The conversations over coffee in a tiny village square, the laughter around the dinner table after a big day on the bike, the post-ride swim or yoga that somehow washes away tired legs, or a glass of local wine shared with people who, only a few days earlier, were complete strangers. Those are the moments that have come to define Soulfit Adventures for me.

Good riders don't all ride the same way

One of the things I am always reminded of is just how different we can be as cyclists. Some love the climbs, others come alive on the descents. Some have been riding for decades, others for less time, and everyone brings different strengths and experience to the group.

You do need a good level of cycling fitness to enjoy a Soulfit retreat. There are proper days on the bike, plenty of climbing and sometimes tired legs by the end of them. But they're not training camps, and they're certainly not about chasing average speeds or proving who is the strongest rider.

What makes a great week is a group of capable riders who are comfortable riding at their own pace when the road goes up, regrouping along the way and enjoying the experience together. There'll always be someone first to the top of a climb and someone who arrives a few minutes later. That's cycling.

For me, one of the most rewarding things is seeing a group settle into that rhythm over the course of a week. People challenge themselves, have some great days on the bike and still have enough left in the tank to enjoy everything that comes afterwards. And really, that's where the balance comes in.

Finding the balance

For me, it's always been about finding the balance and putting in enough effort to make everything else feel that little bit sweeter. Ride the climb and enjoy the descent. Cool off in the pool after a ride, then share stories over dinner that somehow become just as memorable as the cycling itself.

That's what I mean when I talk about effort and indulgence. Neither one exists without the other. The riding makes the rest of the day feel earned, while those slower moments make the riding even more rewarding.

It's why I keep doing Soulfit Adventures they way I do, and why, after another season in Europe, I'm already looking forward to doing it all again.

Thinking about experiencing it for yourself? Provence 2027 is now open. You can find all the details on the Provence Cycling Retreat page.