Holy Socks head south to pedal new line

Holy Socks head south to pedal new line

An Anglican priest and long-distance cyclist took a pair of Ezekiel’s Wheels socks out for a test ride recently.

‘They are so comfortable and express my love for cycling,’ said Fr Mick Elfred (pictured) who recently retired after ministry at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Tadworth, in Surrey. ‘Over the years I have led groups of young people on cycling challenges for various charities. We’ve completed Land’s End to John o’ Groats three times.’

He runs a popular blog on cycling called Ezekiel’s Wheels– so receiving the socks, made by CRE South West exhibitor Holy Socks, was well timed.

‘They might well provoke a conversation with other curious cyclists and give the wearer an opportunity to share the Gospel,’ he said. ‘I have no hesitation in recommending them to other cyclists.’

Margaret Wylie, from Newton Stewart in Scotland, launched Holy Socks more than 20 years ago. 

‘We won’t be cycling down to south-west England but we will bring our Holy Socks,’ she said. ‘More than 42 per cent of British people now own a bicycle and with the heightened interest in both cycling and cycle pilgrimages, we thought it was time we had a proper cycle sock! Both pairs feature the verses from Ezekiel 10.13: “The whirling wheels” and Matthew 24 9-13: “endure to the end.” These are appropriate, whatever the ability of the cyclist.

‘We’re looking forward to rolling them out at Exeter and hope they’ll soon be whirling along the lanes of Devon and beyond. Holy Socks were born partly out of a desire to have a quiet, non-threatening way of opening a conversation about the Christian faith. I hope the cycling socks do as good a job as our other lines have done over the years.’

• Holy Socks are on stand F3 at CRE South West

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