Inspiring stories

Kelly has been a member of ACIF from the day she started in Atlas Copco. She joined the board four years ago and now she is the first female chair of ACIF. Congratulations! During the years I have heard that she has developed a passion for road cycling. I was curious and wanted to know more. Kelly happily shared her story about her most memorable ACIF training experience and she also shared a few rookie mistakes with us.

Helena Söderlund: Kelly, you’ve been active in ACIF for as long as you’ve worked here. What’s your most memorable ACIF training experience?

Kelly: Oh, hard question. There have been so many – a hiking weekend in the alps near Chamonix; the yoga weekends; learning to paddle a kayak here on Sickla Sjö….

But I have to say, ACIF gave me an experience that changed my life. A few years ago, members had the opportunity to join a long weekend of road cycling in Italy. I knew I loved cycling, but I didn’t even own a road bike. I decided this was a good opportunity to try something new, so I went all in.

After buying a used road bike, I bought the shoes that let you attach your feet to the pedals – something that gives you extra power. But being connected to the pedals was completely foreign to me and kind of scary. I practiced in my neighborhood and found it wasn’t so hard to twist my shoe out of the pedal. Then I took my first ride.

At the first intersection with a stop light, I slowed down, came to a stop and toppled over. I hadn’t loosened my foot in time. What hurt most was my pride. It was such a public ‘fail’.

Anyway, I did eventually learn to remove my foot in time at stop lights, and after a few weekends of riding, felt ready for the cycling weekend.

Turns out I wasn’t completely prepared. There aren’t a lot of hills to climb around Stockholm. I thought I was in reasonably good condition, but I was so challenged in that hilly region of Italy. I was always behind everyone else in the ACIF group.

On my first day, it was very hot, and I was struggling to make it up a hill. I could no longer see anyone I knew, even if they were waiting for me some distance ahead. Some other, obviously experienced cyclists caught up with me. I must have looked pitiful. One of them actually put his hand on my back and helped me make it up the hill. Then he asked if I had enough water – he could probably see from my tomato-red face that I was very hot. And I was out of water – rookie mistake.

After pouring some of his water into my water bottle, he carried on to catch up with his group. That act of kindness really impressed me. I thought, I want to join this culture! I’ve been road cycling ever since. I can also proudly say I’ve convinced a few other friends to start as well.

Helena: You are the first female chair of ACIF. Congratulations! How does that feel?

Kelly: You know, I’m not a fan of any team in any sport, but I’m a huge ACIF fan. I think it’s a super way to try out new training activities and meet other people from Atlas Copco and Epiroc, people you’d not meet otherwise.

I became a member of the board four or five years ago when I volunteered to take care of all communication for the sports association. I’m glad you have that role now, Helena.

Stockholm - Falun

350 km, 8 days, no flat tire

Stockholm - Umeå

1 100 km, of which Leon biked 320 km, 22 days, 1 flat tire

Holland - Zurich

1 100 km, 25 days, no flat tires

Stockholm - Holland

1 650 km, 33 days, 4 flat tires

Emma, you had a holiday last summer that involved cycling with the whole family, including two small children, from Stockholm to Falun. We want to know more!

The main questions on everyone’s minds must be: How on earth did you manage to get your children to agree to do that? How old are your children? Do the kids need to already love cycling in order for a family to consider this holiday plan? Perhaps your kids are different from everyone else’s? What was the prize, or how did you motivate them?

Simple answer: They were not given any choice, ha ha! However, as our daughter said, “You are lucky to have kids that can do this.” Yes, Nina, so true.

We have cycled long distances during previous years with the children as well, but this was the first year when both of them biked themselves and cycled the complete distance: 350 km following ‘Sverigeleden’.

The first year we biked to Holland, where my partner Michiel comes from and where we lived for six years. Leon was then three years old and Nina nine months. We got the idea and thought: ‘Why not just try it? If it’s shit, we can just rent a car.’

It ended up being fantastic. The year after that we continued from Holland to Zurich, where we have friends living. This second trip wasn’t that great, though. The ages of the children were challenging. We struggled and really questioned ourselves: Why did we do this?! We considered stopping, but still we finished. We really have many nice memories from that trip, too.

The third year we biked to Umeå, where I come from. This trip was great, too. Leon, who was five years old by then, biked 320 km himself. However, he always had the option of stepping off the bike, putting it on my carrier and jumping into the child carrier.

Last summer we had our fourth trip, to Falun. And it was super! We had a three-year break from biking holidays, waiting to feel that Nina could be ‘on the train’ as well. And now she was capable. Leon was then nine years old and Nina six.

Both our children have biked since they were very small and they enjoy it. Of course that makes it easier. If they didn’t like it, then I believe that it could be tough, yes. However, I don’t think that they have to LOVE cycling. It’s more about doing something together: biking, talking, having breaks, MANY breaks, fika, seeing, hearing and smelling. You see so much when you move like this.

During these days and evenings on the road, they never asked for the screen. After one day on the road it became completely normal to them. OK, now we bike. The goal was important to them though, more than to us. They needed to feel the goal, and work towards it. We were going to Falun.

Many times I have reflected on these trips and that we should share our stories, for the ones who might recognize themselves and be inspired. Bike, pause, bike, pause… and live for a while with the simple questions like: Where do we sleep? What about food? Is rain coming? How do we get a beer?

How long would you typically cycle before taking a break? What were your breaks like?

It really differs. We have no structure, and it totally depends on the mood of everyone. However, that is one of the reasons why I think that it works for us, too. You never know what will come along the way and how everyone will be feeling. If you have a strict plan it can become tricky and even stressful. Sometimes you bike 20 km without stopping, just singing on the way. Another time you get 2 km and you need to do a motivation speech or open the candy bag, or a combination of both.

Did the kids ever complain or refuse to go on?

Oh yes. For example, the first long climb from Horndal to Garpenberg. It looked like a never-ending straight line, the whole way up. That one did cost us more than one candy bag.

Were there any hiccups or challenges along the way?

Actually this trip was blessed from having any tough challenges. We even had tailwind most of the time. There were two times that we did not have any place to sleep, but it was not too difficult to find a place where we could put the tent. Indeed, we found nice places to camp.

Please share some of the highlights of your trip.

The nice thing is that an ice-cream can become a highlight. It’s all about the small things, and that’s part of what makes the trip great. How arriving to Horndal, late, tired and hungry and finding that the local kebab kiosk is still open, and they even have beer … You can feel so happy in that moment, watching the ‘raggare’ burning rubber on the road just five meters from your plate.

What advice would you give to anyone considering doing the same?

One basic thing that has been an important factor for us and for our biking trips is that it’s both our thing. It’s not one of us wanting this more than the other.

Flexibility is also important. When biking with kids you cannot expect to keep the same structure as if you would bike yourself. You have to take breaks when they need them. But when you just except that, keep that in your expectations and go with the flow, then it’s great.

We have never planned the trips as such. We never know where to sleep days ahead. We take it one day at a time. And we have appreciated not to have any strict timelines. Three-five days more or less does not matter. Then you can just stop if you find nice places, too. For us it’s about the freedom of just being on the road, and no one is expecting anything from us when we’re away. It’s just us, the bikes, the tent, the candy, just being outside, and the idea of a common goal.

My advice would be to just try it, and you can start as small or big as it suits you and your gang. And bring as little stuff with you as you can.