Ah, the summer is well and truly here, the blazing sun, glorious long evenings in the lanes, the country flush with life and colour.

As it was yesterday evening. RCUK editor Richard, Magicalia’s Sean and I departed our central London offices and rolled into the evening rush hour traffic. Battling buses, choking on fumes, weaving through stationary cars back dropped by a cacophony of car horns.

Some more pedalling, and soon the Metropolis is swapped for the suburban houses and long driveways of south London, and before too long we’ve swapped all signs of modern civilisation for country lanes. Birds flit about, rabbits dart across the road and disappear into the overgrown hedgerows, the pedals turn over with the ease that only comes from riding on such a beautiful day.

A couple of hours of energetic cycling later, with much banter shared, and we reward ourselves with a stop at a country pub. Sausages and mash ordered and quickly scoffed down, and a pint or two of ale to quench the thirst generated after the last couple of hours. Stories shared, watching the sun very slowly inch ever lower in the sky, long wispy clouds drawing in around it and the lush green fields bathed in a warm evening glow.

This is what cycling is all about. It makes all those memories of miserable wet winter rides just fade away, a good ride with good friends on a perfect summer evening, what more could you ask for?