Other Ways to Win: A competitive cyclist's reflections on success

When Lee Craigie rolled over the finish line at Cathkin Braes in July 2013, she wasn’t just winning the British cross‑country mountain bike title — she was closing one chapter of her life and quietly opening another. After years of intense training, sacrifice, and racing at the highest level, she walked away from professional competition less than a year later. But quitting racing didn’t mean quitting the bike.

In Other Ways to Win, Lee looks back on growing up near Glasgow, discovering the wild freedom of cycling, and sneaking off into the Campsie Fells to see how far her legs — and her courage — could take her. Those early rides became the thread running through everything she’s done since: elite racing, big‑mile adventures, and her mission to inspire others, especially women, through the Adventure Syndicate.

Written with honesty and heart, Lee shares her experiences on the Tour Divide, the Silk Road, and the Highland Trail 550 — journeys full of grit, friendship, loss, identity, and the healing power of the outdoors. It’s a story that proves there’s more than one way to win, both on the bike and in life.

Perfect for fans of adventure cycling, memoir, and anyone who knows a bike ride can change everything.