The horrors of war left Dave Bickel mentally scarred and teetering on the brink – until the day he discovered the simple joy of riding a bike…
In 2010, Dave Bickel reached a crisis point.Caught in a self-destructive spiral of drinking and weight gain, his physical and mental health were in tatters. Furthermore, as he struggled to cope, his relationship with his wife and three kids was deteriorating. He couldn’t go on like this.
His problems had been years in the making. Now managing health and safety for a construction firm, Dave formerly spent 23 years in the Army. ‘I was 18 when I joined the Royal Engineers in November 1983,’ Dave tells us. ‘I was primarily in bomb disposal but finished off in an air assault unit in 2005. I’ve seen active service in many countries including the Falklands, Bosnia, Kosovo, the Gulf…’ But it wasn’t until after his retirement in 2006 that the horrors he had seen really started to haunt him. ‘A few years after leaving the Army, I started getting anxiety attacks, and getting angry with myself and with my family. I was drinking a lot, too. That’s when I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).’
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 2017-Ausgabe von Bikes Etc.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 2017-Ausgabe von Bikes Etc.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Bike We Like
This month we jump on Whyte bike’s latest creation the Wessex which was built to take on the British winter.
Sex And The Saddle
How does cycling affect the sex lives of those who get their kicks by doing it? Our investigation looks at the pros and cons of spending long hours in the saddle and reveals how you can improve your, erm, all round performance…
‘I've Been Through Hell - But Cycling Saved Me!'
The horrors of war left Dave Bickel mentally scarred and teetering on the brink – until the day he discovered the simple joy of riding a bike…
Furka Pass
Chocolate-box scenery, sweeping hairpins and punishing gradients.
Lincoln GP Sportive
Try your hand (and feet!) on the route of one of Britain’s top pro races.
Back From The Brink
The extraordinary story of Jaco van Gass: war veteran, Arctic adventurer and champion cyclist.
The Good Cyclist's Guide To Bad-Weather Riding
When the skies turn dark and unleash their worst, here’s how to keep on riding – as safely and comfortably as possible…
How to... Avoid Crashing
Nobody likes a trip to A&E, sohere are some dos and don’ts for avoiding disaster on a bike.
Chiltern Hills
We head to the rolling hinterlands west of London for a winter warmer.
The Ultra Man
How endurance athlete Jason Lane over came life-altering surgery, being run over and profound sleep deprivation to ride the race of his life.