February 28th, 2026 | by Ben Cummings
Ben Cummings is a cyclist, runner and endurance enthusiast who loves being in the outdoors. He has spent his whole career working in sport. He currently runs a sports partnerships consultancy, Nyvej.co, meaning ‘new way’ in Danish. Fueled by passion and driven by purpose, Ben aims to deliver successful partnerships in sport and beyond. He came across Bivo through his global network of contacts and shared this story from his home in the UK.
Ben Cummings is a cyclist, runner and endurance enthusiast who loves being in the outdoors. He has spent his whole career working in sport. He currently runs a sports partnerships consultancy, Nyvej.co, meaning ‘new way’ in Danish. Fueled by passion and driven by purpose, Ben aims to deliver successful partnerships in sport and beyond. He came across Bivo through his global network of contacts and shared this story from his home in the UK.
There’s nothing quite like The Friday Ride. The essential ingredients, for me at least, are: start early, chat with a buddy, enjoy the big outdoors and finish with coffee. It’s not about the training, the structure, the elevation or pace. In fact, it has very little to do with performance biking. Rather, it’s about sharing moments with great people in great places to see things or reflect on life in a way that you wouldn’t do if you weren’t on the bike.
There’s nothing quite like The Friday Ride. The essential ingredients, for me at least, are: start early, chat with a buddy, enjoy the big outdoors and finish with coffee. It’s not about the training, the structure, the elevation or pace. In fact, it has very little to do with performance biking. Rather, it’s about sharing moments with great people in great places to see things or reflect on life in a way that you wouldn’t do if you weren’t on the bike.
Pictured above: Ben Cummings and Jack Buckner out for a ride together, sporting their very own Bivo bottles.
Pictured above: Ben Cummings and Jack Buckner out for a ride together, sporting their very own Bivo bottles.
0420 alarm….. I did say early, my friends call this ‘Benny o’clock’. Get the kit on, which I’ve left out the evening before, eat some porridge or overnight oats, also prepared the night prior and jump on the bike, of course also prepared with light Bivo bottle and nutrition the night prior. Out of the door around 0500 sometimes, but almost definitely before 0600. The lights are on in winter, fully clothed head to toe with my customary mittens in winter, or white painters’ gloves in sunnier months.
Why do I start so early, even though I don’t need to be in an office by 0900? I enjoy the peace of the remaining night hours in winter months and buzz with excitement in the spring when the sun is coming up. Riding into daylight is also a joy, watching the sun come up, the sky changing shades and hopefully the world comes into color. Of course, sometimes it doesn’t. It can remain grey, cold and wet, but those rides are sometimes the most satisfying, as long as I’m prepared for them.
0420 alarm….. I did say early, my friends call this ‘Benny o’clock’. Get the kit on, which I’ve left out the evening before, eat some porridge or overnight oats, also prepared the night prior and jump on the bike, of course also prepared with light Bivo bottle and nutrition the night prior. Out of the door around 0500 sometimes, but almost definitely before 0600. The lights are on in winter, fully clothed head to toe with my customary mittens in winter, or white painters’ gloves in sunnier months.
Why do I start so early, even though I don’t need to be in an office by 0900? I enjoy the peace of the remaining night hours in winter months and buzz with excitement in the spring when the sun is coming up. Riding into daylight is also a joy, watching the sun come up, the sky changing shades and hopefully the world comes into color. Of course, sometimes it doesn’t. It can remain grey, cold and wet, but those rides are sometimes the most satisfying, as long as I’m prepared for them.
The Friday Ride really came into life during the COVID-19 pandemic. It became the highlight of the week to get out with a work contact and neighbor Jack Buckner. Jack was a professional athlete in his day boasting a resume on the track that is worth googling, but to me he’s just been Jack, someone I’ve worked with in triathlon in my thirties, stayed in touch with as a neighbor and through our Friday rides has become a great friend.
Friendships on the bike are unique. Riding side by side the chat on two wheels is hard to beat. There’s something about sharing the suffering, talking through life’s challenges, or chatting about insignificant topics, often sport related in my case, which would never get approached off the bike, certainly not in the detail I talk to friends on two wheels.
Jack and I would set off every Friday at a time based on a text message negotiation the night prior, which would be based on our respective work commitments, intended route and energy levels. Usually, we’d settle on an arbitrary time of 0610 at the ‘usual roundabout’ then set off on one of our usual routes.
The Friday Ride really came into life during the COVID-19 pandemic. It became the highlight of the week to get out with a work contact and neighbor Jack Buckner. Jack was a professional athlete in his day boasting a resume on the track that is worth googling, but to me he’s just been Jack, someone I’ve worked with in triathlon in my thirties, stayed in touch with as a neighbor and through our Friday rides has become a great friend.
Friendships on the bike are unique. Riding side by side the chat on two wheels is hard to beat. There’s something about sharing the suffering, talking through life’s challenges, or chatting about insignificant topics, often sport related in my case, which would never get approached off the bike, certainly not in the detail I talk to friends on two wheels.
Jack and I would set off every Friday at a time based on a text message negotiation the night prior, which would be based on our respective work commitments, intended route and energy levels. Usually, we’d settle on an arbitrary time of 0610 at the ‘usual roundabout’ then set off on one of our usual routes.
The Bivo crew headed out for a group ride. Thank you to Gretchen Powers for the above image!
The Bivo crew headed out for a group ride. Thank you to Gretchen Powers for the above image!
Well, I say great places, but none of the routes I ride locally are anything of particular significance. Rather they are just quiet lanes in the Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire countryside. Jack and I have the Saxelbye 70k loop, ‘the classic’, an 80k loop towards Belvoir Castle, or in winter a shorter 55k ‘Dalby loop’. Jack will tell me what he’s up for and sometimes I’d get out a bit earlier to get a few more miles in. We’ve ridden these routes many times over, but don’t get bored of them. The greatness of the locations isn’t the landmarks, of which there aren’t any of note, apart from Belvoir Castle. Rather, the greatness is the fact that we can simply pedal out from home and enjoy what we have on our doorstep.
The countryside near us isn’t an area of ‘outstanding natural beauty’, but it is natural and can be beautiful. It changes every day, and we see things differently through the seasons as the landscape develops, crops emerge and the colors change.
I’m lucky enough to have enjoyed rides in many places around the world. I could have written about one of many cycling adventures abroad, the Alps, Australia, Mallorca, Tuscany, New England or even Korea. But some of my best rides have been the local routes. To me great places are often right on your doorstep, they just need to be fully consumed to be appreciated.
Well, I say great places, but none of the routes I ride locally are anything of particular significance. Rather they are just quiet lanes in the Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire countryside. Jack and I have the Saxelbye 70k loop, ‘the classic’, an 80k loop towards Belvoir Castle, or in winter a shorter 55k ‘Dalby loop’. Jack will tell me what he’s up for and sometimes I’d get out a bit earlier to get a few more miles in. We’ve ridden these routes many times over, but don’t get bored of them. The greatness of the locations isn’t the landmarks, of which there aren’t any of note, apart from Belvoir Castle. Rather, the greatness is the fact that we can simply pedal out from home and enjoy what we have on our doorstep.
The countryside near us isn’t an area of ‘outstanding natural beauty’, but it is natural and can be beautiful. It changes every day, and we see things differently through the seasons as the landscape develops, crops emerge and the colors change.
I’m lucky enough to have enjoyed rides in many places around the world. I could have written about one of many cycling adventures abroad, the Alps, Australia, Mallorca, Tuscany, New England or even Korea. But some of my best rides have been the local routes. To me great places are often right on your doorstep, they just need to be fully consumed to be appreciated.
I use the time on the bike almost like meditation. Once you’ve banked a few thousand kilometers in your legs, your fitness can give you comfort so a ride doesn’t need to be exerting. Many ride segments are about zoning out, sorting out what’s in your head or simply tuning into nature.
Jack has taught me a thing or two about nature. From recognizing birds of prey, enjoying moments riding alongside white owls tracking us along the hedges which dissect the fields from the road, or providing a commentary of the nation’s Ash tree disease. Whether you are outside walking, running or biking, you can tune into the great outdoors in a way you can’t in a vehicle.
You can also build an incredible map of the local geography, memorize routes and directions that are lost in the generation of sat nav and GPS computers.
I use the time on the bike almost like meditation. Once you’ve banked a few thousand kilometers in your legs, your fitness can give you comfort so a ride doesn’t need to be exerting. Many ride segments are about zoning out, sorting out what’s in your head or simply tuning into nature.
Jack has taught me a thing or two about nature. From recognizing birds of prey, enjoying moments riding alongside white owls tracking us along the hedges which dissect the fields from the road, or providing a commentary of the nation’s Ash tree disease. Whether you are outside walking, running or biking, you can tune into the great outdoors in a way you can’t in a vehicle.
You can also build an incredible map of the local geography, memorize routes and directions that are lost in the generation of sat nav and GPS computers.
Note this isn’t a coffee stop ride. The Friday Ride is all about finishing the ride with a coffee. I know it’s a tough ride if I’m thinking about the post ride coffee in the first hour, but usually its after halfway when the coffee expectation kicks in to motivate progress through the final segments home.
It’s over a coffee when we review our ride discussion topics, of which there are many and follow up on any actions we’ve made, to connect one another on useful work contacts or most often pencil in the next Friday ride.
It’s over a coffee that the endorphins kick in, the sense of achievement and renewed perspective on the week that’s been and the weekend ahead comes to life. Every now and again it will be a Thursday or Saturday ride, but for some reason these rides never have the same feel.
I always return home in a positive mindset celebrating the magic of The Friday Ride.
Note this isn’t a coffee stop ride. The Friday Ride is all about finishing the ride with a coffee. I know it’s a tough ride if I’m thinking about the post ride coffee in the first hour, but usually its after halfway when the coffee expectation kicks in to motivate progress through the final segments home.
It’s over a coffee when we review our ride discussion topics, of which there are many and follow up on any actions we’ve made, to connect one another on useful work contacts or most often pencil in the next Friday ride.
It’s over a coffee that the endorphins kick in, the sense of achievement and renewed perspective on the week that’s been and the weekend ahead comes to life. Every now and again it will be a Thursday or Saturday ride, but for some reason these rides never have the same feel.
I always return home in a positive mindset celebrating the magic of The Friday Ride.
Thank you to Gretchen Powers for the above image!
Thank you to Gretchen Powers for the above image!
***All running abilities welcome! This is a time to make new friends and get the legs moving before work. Plus, just like Ben Cummings, we enjoy a good coffee post-run :) We'll have fresh espresso for anyone who joins.
RSVP to Bivo Run Club on our Strava page: Here!
Or just show up ;) Hope to see you there!
***All running abilities welcome! This is a time to make new friends and get the legs moving before work. Plus, just like Ben Cummings, we enjoy a good coffee post-run :) We'll have fresh espresso for anyone who joins.
RSVP to Bivo Run Club on our Strava page: Here!
Or just show up ;) Hope to see you there!
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