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The British women are conquering the world. Now EMMA POOLEY has won the women's Tour de France, the 3rd time in 4 years a Brit has won the race. The innovative city centre cycling events that make up the Tour Series have been providing great entertainment and spectacle! Check out the website.
Cycling: What's It All About?
The things people do for fun are both varied and rewarding. Some people like to read, some go in for watching football matches, some enjoy a potter in the garden, and many like to get out on the hills. Well, I have to say  I enjoy all of the above. But I also get a lot of fun out of cycling. Cycling is often thought of as a bit of a niche sport, not many people do it, fewer still actually do it competitively. Well, how wrong you are. It is, I believe, one of the fastest growing leisure activities in the UK and more and more people are having a go. There are many different ways you can get involved. Kids (of all ages) might well go for BMX or mountain biking. Touring is a fantastic way to explore our countryside from the north of Scotland to the south coast, or even better the big mountains of France.
Alternatively, for something a bit different why not try grass-track riding, or, for some real excitement, riding your local velodrome track. When it comes to track cycling, hot on the back of Team GB's success at the Beijing Olympics we are now rebuilding toward 2012 with a crop of exciting youngsters coming through to challenge the old hands. To cap it all Britain's Cycling Team scooped Coach of the Year (Dave Brailsford), Team of the Year AND Sport's Personality of the Year (Chris Hoy) for 2008 on the BBC. How amazing is that? And well deserved too I might add. Over the last few years, the popularity of cycle sportives has grown exponentially. These are semi-competitive day rides which tend to include a few (?) challenging hills such as the Bealach na Ba (Google it!). We even have a classic local sportive right here in Cumbria, the Cumberland Challenge. And if you feel  really competitive there is always road racing and time trialling. I have to say I enjoy all of the above. And that really is what cycling is all about. A bit of everything, but most important it's about having fun. New for 2009 is a blow-by-blow blog cum diary, an attempt to keep track of the cycling year as it unfolds. Already the year seems to have packed so much in - a winter camp in Spain in February, a few early sportives, time trials and some mountain biking, and early season hill training in the Pyrenees in May. Still to come is a full-on north-south traverse of the Alps in June, finishing in Monte Carlo as the Tour de France kicks off (good timing, eh). If 2009 proves to be as much fun as 2008, it will be quite a year. 2008 was certainly a classic cycling year for me. By Christmas I had topped the landmark of 10,000 kilometers, no wonder I felt worn out. Of course, the main focus of 2008 was the Etape du Tour, in the Pyrenees, in July. Exciting? You bet. I kept a log of my training as I geared up toward this inspiring event, and there is a separate page devoted to the ride itself - read it by clicking here. Also, as the season came to an end, Border City riders travelled to France once again, this time to ride La Ronde Picarde.
Hopefully, my website will inspire, motivate or interest you enough to have a go if you don't already. And if you are lucky enough to live in Cumbria
why not try riding some of our wonderful (steep) Lake District hills, or head into the remote and quiet Scottish Borders, or simply stretch your legs along the glorious Solway coast. You too can enjoy scenery like this, whatever the weather!
Join a club Not sure where to start? Are you a club member? If not, why not join your local club? In Cumbria there are a number cycling clubs who will welcome you with open arms. Our club is Border City Wheelers, if you want to see what they have to offer check out our club website (currently undergoing a revamp). This site is a bit of an indulgence but I will make no apologies. I don't think I'm an anorak (better ask my kids about that) and I have purposely tried to avoid the technical jargon which many cyclists seem so keen on using in casual conversation. Feel free to have a wander through the links at the top of the page, hopefully there will be something there of interest. But, if nothing else, get yer bike out and get riding.... today!
Cumbrian Cyclist was last updated: 23 June, 2009 | |
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