A positive cycling story

Taken from the Blazing Saddles Column in the Tayside Courier Weekend Supplement 20.10.12

Scot Tares looks towards a bright future for young cyclists.

“After being encouraged by the team, pressured to perform and pushed to my physical limits I crossed a line I promised myself and others I would not: I doped. It was a decision I deeply regret. It caused me sleepless nights, took the fun out of cycling and racing, and tainted the success I achieved at the time. This was not how I wanted to live or race.” – Michael Barry, a former team-mate of Armstrong’s

For several years now I have coached children in cycling and last week I had the pleasure to be involved in coaching a group of 20 kids at the outdoor cycle track at Caird Park in Dundee. The vast majority had never ridden on a brakeless, fixed wheel bike before, but within the first few hours we had them racing each other around the track.

The enthusiasm from each of them was infectious and as they sprinted for the line it was hard not to cheer out loud; I felt the same excitement watching them race as I had when I watched the track racing at the Olympics. As one rider crossed the line in his race heat, he pulled his foot out from the pedal and only just managed to keep his bike upright as he careered off the track onto the grass centre.

It was spectacular and my heart was in my mouth as I ran over to check he was okay. Shaken, but unhurt, his first words to me were, “Did I win?”; I was happy to be able to tell him he had.

Later that evening, as I read through pages of online articles relating to systematic doping in professional cycling ranks perpetrated by many, including Lance Armstrong, I reflected on that young rider’s winning mentality at the track in Dundee. It takes that kind of attitude to get to the top in sport and those who want to get there are faced with many difficult sacrifices and choices. However, the people and support systems in place to help inform these decisions must be supportive of the rider and place their very best interests at the heart of everything they do.

It was sad, but not surprising, to read how many people in a position of trust: managers, coaches, doctors, riders and those in governance of the sport failed in that very fundamental aspect of protecting those in their charge; the winning mentality for them had crossed a dangerous line as they actively promoted a “win at all costs” culture that had banned performance enhancing drugs at its core.

It is very easy to vilify the riders and the choices they made, but peer pressure can be powerful and dreams of success even stronger. Many ex-professionals who chose not to “dope” still look back with bitterness at how they felt chastised and pressured to leave the sport they loved because they were not willing to conform to the illegal practices going on in their sport.

Despite calls from some quarters to move on and forget what has happened in the past, it is vital that answers are sought to the question of how systematic doping ever became part of professional sport; failure to do so will leave those that have crossed the line to bury their heads deeper in the sand and the future of professional cycling will be very bleak as a result.

For each of those riders at the track in Dundee and every other young cyclist that dreams of one day of making it to the top of their sport, their path will be difficult and it will take guts and determination to negotiate the obstacles in the way, but these obstacles are not insurmountable and are in fact part of what makes that effort worthwhile. However, never again should a young rider be put in a position where their success is measured at the expense of their integrity and to win they must sacrifice their own health and morals.

Scot Tares

Where to ride: a two Glen Route near Bridge of Earn

 
Where to ride: Glenfoot/ Glenfarg CircularA circular road ride with some challenging climbs
Location:OS Landranger Map 58 NO 160159
Distance/ climbing:13 miles/ 863ft
Details:Starting at the Baiglie Inn at Aberargie this route can be ridden in either direction. If riding it clockwise, ride along the A913, before turning right at Glen foot . Continue on past Glen Tarkie, before joining the A91. At Gateside turn right on the A912 and descending back to Aberargie

Copyright DC Thompson 2012

 

Skinny Tyres logo showing the silhouette of a female cyclist against an abstract background with the words Skinny Tyres in white in the foreground.

Creaking from the bike

Taken from the Blazing Saddles Column in the Tayside Courier Weekend Supplement 13.10.12

Scot Tares is relieved to find the creaking sound he hears as he rides is not coming from his knees.

“When your bike functions best, you don’t hear it – it’s silent, there’s no cracking, just shhhh – you’re gliding.”― Ralf Hutter, Kraftwerk

There is nothing more infuriating than a squeak or a creaking sound on your bike and that was exactly what I had; as I rode I recalled the old VW car advert where the driver of the car was mystified as to where a squeak was coming from only to find out after stopping at a garage that it was the squeak of his sleeping passenger’s earing. I’m old enough now to have removed all the earrings that I once had in my youth, but thankfully not old enough for the intermittent creak to be coming from my knees; no, this creak was definitely coming from the bike. Like the driver in the advert, I was mystified, as when I stopped and pushed and pulled, turned and spun various moving parts of the bike, it sounded as smooth and sweet as a well maintained bike should, but as soon as my backside was on the saddle and the pedals were turning the noise returned.

Trying to listen to where a noise might be coming from on your bike as you are pedalling is very difficult indeed and as I tried to determine whether the sound was from the front or the back of the bike pedestrians must have thought I was practising some new form of bike yoga as I rode down the street, contorted every-which-way to try and listen to the sound closer. Eventually I settled for the middle of the bike and decided it was the bottom bracket that was at fault, so promptly took my bike to my friendly local bike shop where they fitted a new part. For a day or two this seemed to do the trick, (perhaps my bike, so pleased with the new bottom bracket forgot about its other ailments for a while). However, much to my annoyance, the creak returned and had now developed into a full blown clunk; fortunately, this time it was so loud that it was unmistakeably coming from the back wheel. Since changing the wheels I am now riding again accompanied only with a whoosh through the air, the sound of my breathing and fortunately no creak from my joints just yet. For me a loved bike will purr as you ride and as long as you tend to the occasional creak and groan it will continue to do so for many years. Some people will tell you a well maintained bike is silent, but the only silent bike is one left in a shed – Get out and ride

Scot Tares

Where to ride: an off-road route around Drummond Hill, Loch Tay

 
Where to ride: Drummond Hill near KenmoreOff road forest track with some single track
Location:OS Landranger Map 51 NN 771461
Distance:Mixed
Details:Part of Tay Forest Park, Drummond Hill has extensive forest tracks that are suitable for all the family, although the initial climb is quite steep. There is a mix of forestry track and with a bit of exploration you can find some single track. Whilst you are there it is worth visiting the Iron Age hill fort of Caisteal MacTuathal which offers great views along Strathtay.

Copyright DC Thompson 2012

Skinny Tyres logo showing the silhouette of a female cyclist against an abstract background with the words Skinny Tyres in white in the foreground.

Discriminiation in cycling

Taken from the Blazing Saddles Column in the Tayside Courier Weekend Supplement 6.10.12

Scot Tares considers the potential effects of discrimination in the sport of cycling

“Women who love mud too much have what it takes to transform mountain biking from a boy’s club to a human’s club”― Jacquie Phelan

From the time of Beryl Burton, (who over three decades was not only the best female cyclist in the UK but, was one of the best cyclists in the UK and a multiple World Champion) to Lucy Garner,(who a few weeks ago successfully retained her Junior World Road Race title), the UK has produced some of the finest female cyclists in the world. Nicole Cooke, Lizzie Armitstead, Shanaze Read, Sarah Storey and Rachel Atherton are just a few of the many British female cyclists who are competing and winning at an elite level in all cycling disciplines. With that success, you would imagine fame and fortune to be guaranteed, which it is to some degree, but when compared to their male counterparts, there is a vast chasm of parity between the sexes.

It is a topic that was highlighted by Lizzie Armitstead after winning her silver medal at the 2012 Olympics, but she is just one of a growing number of top female riders who are becoming fed-up with the lack of equality in competitive cycling. This discrimination is most keenly seen with the lack of top level racing opportunities for women and this cascades down with less media attention, less prize money fewer sponsorship opportunities and so on. There are many facets to the problem and as such, many groups who share the burden of blame, including the media, race organisers and the UCI (the cycling world governing body). However, at a time when schools are actively trying to get girls to be more active and participate in sport, it is not helpful to see such discrimination lie at the heart of our professional sport. British Cycling is hinting at the possibility of a UK based women’s professional road team, but whereas the men’s team has been sponsored by a massive multinational media corporation for several years, it seems, for the women the cogs in the machine turn a lot slower and it may be some time before a British women’s team is up and running.

Looking at the bigger picture, this is not just about producing world champions, which cannot be denied is fantastic for cycling in the UK, but also, it is about producing positive role-models for young girls and giving them something to aspire to. Cycling is a great equaliser between men and women and as Beryl Burton so unequivocally proved often provides a sport where women can beat the men. If we want to encourage more people to get out on bikes our sport has to provide an environment that is inclusive to all, from the grass roots level to the very top step of the podium.

Scot Tares

Where to ride: Deuchany Bike park, Perth

 
Where to ride: Deuchny Woods, Perth

Mixed ability mountain bike trails

Location:OS Landranger Map 58 NO 145 237
Distance:Mixed
Details:Deuchny Woods are situated to the east of Perth and are a fantastic location for all abilities of mountain bikers. The forest tracks lead around the hill and can be extended to other trails that lead down to Scone. For the more adventurous there is a mix of more technical single track trails and a downhill free ride section.

Copyright DC Thompson 2012

 

Skinny Tyres logo showing the silhouette of a female cyclist against an abstract background with the words Skinny Tyres in white in the foreground.

Cycling and lights

Taken from the Blazing Saddles Column in the Tayside Courier Weekend Supplement 8.9.12

Scot Tares sheds some light on riding in the dark

“Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it.” ― Terry Pratchett

It’s getting to that time of the year, which seems to come around all too soon, when the darkness of the night encroaches ever closer into our valuable time for riding our bikes and many turn towards their indoor trainer to keep some semblance of fitness through the winter months. Fortunately, the advance of bike-light technology means that the darkness no longer forces you to lock your trusty steed in the shed to hibernate until spring.

There is a vast array of lights available on the market now that can extend your cycling throughout the year; no longer are we limited to a few heavy battery-operated lights or the leg sapping dynamo lights powered by a turning bike wheel.

As usual, however, along with choice comes the inevitable confusion of which light is best. For starters, you have to choose the type of light you want that matches the type of riding you will need it for; do you want to see, be seen, or both? Generally, if you are commuting in an urban environment your priority will be to be seen and a choice of reflective, bright clothing and front and rear lights will do the job. If your ride takes you on to roads without street lighting, or you plan some winter off-road riding, then you will need a front light with a bit more power to illuminate the way ahead. Again there is a wide choice of products available, but manufacturers often add to the confusion of choice by marketing the brightness of their lights in various ways: candela, candlepower, lumens, lux and watts are all used to describe the brightness of a light and it makes comparison of one light to the next difficult. As a general rule of thumb, the more expensive a light is, the brighter it will be. It is worth doing some research, but from experience I have used the same expensive light over several winter seasons of weekly riding in extreme conditions and it is still going strong, so the initial outlay is often worth it. The last consideration with lighting for your road bike is the legal requirements expected and again it is worth researching this to ensure that you are adhering to the law.

Whatever light you choose, riding in the dark on and off-road, especially out of the neon glare of street lights, lets you enter a whole new world of cycling where you can be engulfed in your own sensory deprived bubble of white light spread out in front of you and roads you may have ridden many times previously take on a whole new feel and thrill.

Scot Tares

Twitter: @SkinnyTyres

Where to Ride: cycling around the Dunkeld Lochs

To find out more about lighting regulations visit the CTC website at: http://bit.ly/QHisqU
Where to ride: The Tour of the Lochs

Moderate hilly road ride

Location:OS Landranger Map 53 – Start/ Finish – NO 025429
Distance:20 miles/ 33km
Details:Starting in Dunkeld and heading east along the A923, this circular route passes by the Lochs of Craiglush, Lowes, Butterstone, Clunie and Marlee  and was once part of a road race route organised by Mac Hastie. As you reach Marlee Loch turn right onto the unclassified road that takes you west past Craigie and Clunie and eventually back to Dunkeld. It is worth checking the map, as additional climbs, such as that at Forneth can be added.

Copyright DC Thompson 2012

Skinny Tyres logo showing the silhouette of a female cyclist against an abstract background with the words Skinny Tyres in white in the foreground.

Cycling and disability

Taken from the Blazing Saddles Column in the Tayside Courier Weekend Supplement 22.9.12

Scot Tares looks back over a stunning summer of cycling.

“Wow 4 golds brill! Went to Costco yesterday & when he saw my name he said excuse me love shouldnt u be racing not shopping – Thank you to everyone who made it possible for me to win my 4 races here in London 2012. It has been amazing and the crowds just incredible!” – Sarah Storey on Twitter

2012 has been, quite frankly, an amazing year for sport in the UK and cycling has been right at the head of the juggernaut of victories that seem to keep coming for our athletes this year. However, these victories don’t just happen; they are the culmination of years of unseen effort that every athlete puts in to reach the highest level. For me, however it is the success of our Paralympian cyclists that eclipses all of these other achievements; each of these athletes has gone through the same emotional rollercoaster as the Olympic athletes, training for years to pin-point victory in one short moment that will define their careers. For some like Jody Cundy that effort ended in a crushing disappointment; others such as Sarah Storey – who won four Gold medals, set the track and road on fire with their victories. Unfortunately many people still view a person with a disability as someone who cannot participate in sport and opportunities for a disabled athlete are greatly reduced; these challenges can add extra obstacles on the path to victory. During the Paralympics I listened to one radio phone-in where several callers were expressing the opinion that the Paralympics were not real sport and the sports-people were not examples of athletes at the top of their game. I think those, like Sarah Storey who battled years of bullying at school when she was a Paralympian swimmer at the age of 14 would disagree.  For me, such an ill-informed view is a complete non-starter and represents the discrimination that still exists for disabled athletes.

I have worked with a disability voluntary organisation for 17 years and my brother has cerebral palsy, so throughout my life I have seen first-hand the challenges that anyone with a disability faces. Often it is a subtle form of discrimination that can manifest itself as apathy, or a lowering of expectations, or commonly just a lack of funding or accessible equipment that can place obstacles in the way and for someone trying to achieve in sport this can be a huge challenge to overcome. Although many sports for non-disabled athletes have similar difficulties it is particularly relevant for many at the grass roots level of disability sport and this is where the challenges can be highest. There are a huge number of dedicated volunteers who put in time and effort to support and coach these athletes, but it is important to the continued success, at all levels, that we can engage more coaches and volunteers to promote an inclusive approach to disability sport.

If this has sparked an interest you can find out more at the “Festival of Inclusive Cycling” at Lochore Meadows in Fife on the 12th and 13th October. Also “Talking Tandems” are looking for cyclists in West and Central Fife to train as volunteer tandem pilots for blind and partially sighted cyclists, allowing them to participate in mainstream cycling activities.

Scot Tares

Twitter: @SkinnyTyres

Talking Tandems

For more details contact:Festival of Inclusive Cycling – http://bit.ly/UPqn8d

Talking Tandems –

E-mail: info@talkingtandems.org

Website: www.talkingtandems.org

This week I asked Janet Brereton from “Talking Tandems” for her favourite route:
Janet: “The truth of the matter is that it’s not about a favourite route for me, it’s about the challenge of new routes!  For me, it’s the sense of achievement when you’ve completed a cycle run – and the stopping for lunch and a chat with other cyclists that makes cycling fun for everyone!  If you pinned me down one of the routes I enjoy close to home is cycling from the Tay Bridge to the Forth Bridge.”

Copyright DC Thompson 2012

Skinny Tyres logo showing the silhouette of a female cyclist against an abstract background with the words Skinny Tyres in white in the foreground.

Eating right on the bike

Taken from the Blazing Saddles Column in the Tayside Courier Weekend Supplement 15.9.12

Scot Tares finds out that the key to a happy cyclist is filling the engine on your bike with the right fuel.

“The food that fuels me as an athlete is incredibly important. On any given day I will only feel as good as the food I have eaten before, during and after my ride. Garbage in, garbage out”.- Timmy Duggan

Often the thoughts of a cyclist will revolve around food and rightly so; as a cyclist, you are little more than the engine that powers your chosen two-wheeled mode of transport and any engine needs fuel to function. You would think, nowadays that fuelling yourself for a bike ride was a lot simpler, than in days gone by; my Dad still tells me of hundred mile rides he did on nothing more than a “jammie piece”; but now it seems that the plethora of energy bars, carbohydrate drinks and gels have diet and nutrition more confusing to the modern cyclist, instead of make things simpler. Nutritional science is ever-changing but the advancement of knowledge is often both informative and confusing. Articles in magazines and marketing campaigns directed at cyclists can often pressurise us into thinking that it is impossible to pedal a bike without consuming the latest carbohydrate bar with added caffeine. Unfortunately, usually they are just what we don’t need as without the necessary work-out we end up consuming more calories than we have burnt. As the engine on the bike the cyclist needs to think in terms of their power to weight ratio i.e. their body weight based against their ability to propel that weight forward on a bike. Put another way; if two cyclists, one heavier than the other, both ride up a hill and they are both travelling at the same speed, the heavier cyclist is the one exerting more power to get up the hill and therefore more energy in the process.

Most people start with enough energy stores in their body to last for a 60 minute work-out. With this in mind it is advisable to drink nothing more than water on such short rides as otherwise you will be adding more carbohydrate to your body than it can manage. The average intestine can only process a half to one gram of carbohydrate per minute, no matter how much you consume, so over consumption only leads to all this extra carbohydrate sloshing around in your body, which can result in stomach cramps and ultimately weight increase. It is also very important that you do not under or over dilute any energy drink you are making. The manufacturer has specifically designed the powder to mix to a drink that will be absorbed most efficiently. Under diluting, or worse, drinking a carbohydrate drink, whilst popping back carbohydrate gels, can lead to the rider actually dehydrating as the excess carbohydrate leaches fluid from the blood stream.

Overall, I am a great believer in eating a wide range of quality natural food and steering clear of processed food whenever possible, and only falling back on processed energy foods for emergencies or convenience in long events or races.

For an interesting Blog about cycling and food check out http://thehungrycyclist.com/

Scot Tares

Twitter: @SkinnyTyres

Where to Ride: A Mountain bike ride in Strathtay

Location:Castle Dow – near Balnaguard

OS 1:50,000 Map 52 Start – NN935524

Ride type:Off-road moderate ride with a steady climb
Distance:8miles/ 14km return – The route can be extended beyond Castle Dow
Details:A small parking area can be found on the B898 between Grandtully and Balnaguard. The route climbs steadily on forest track to the iron-age hill fort of Castle Dow.

Copyright DC Thompson 2012

Skinny Tyres logo showing the silhouette of a female cyclist against an abstract background with the words Skinny Tyres in white in the foreground.

Cycling in the rain

Taken from the Blazing Saddles Column in the Tayside Courier Weekend Supplement 8.9.12

Scot Tares is convinced that riding in the rain is good for the soul.

“Raindrops keep falling on my head but that doesn’t mean my eyes will soon be turning red. Crying’s not for me cause I’m never gonna stop the rain by complaining. Because I’m free. Nothing’s worrying me.- Hal David

The great Irish cyclist, Sean Kelly, once intimated that the only way to tell whether the weather was suitable for riding in was to go out and ride in it and then decide if it was too cold or wet on your return. This philosophical approach to cycling went through my head as I cycled through the rain, timing my pedal cadence to the drip of water from the tip of my cycle helmet; one drip to four turns of the pedal. I concentrated on this, mainly to distract me from the continuous spray flicked up by my front wheel; my water-proof overshoes had all but surrendered their defence of the water that was now seeping into my already freezing cold feet. My red raw knees looked like a couple ripe beef tomatoes, ready to split from their skin and my white fingers ached as if they had been shut in a door. Such were the pleasures I had cycling one summer’s evening, but strangely I was enjoying myself.

Now my friends and family will tell you that I have a meteorological pessimism that can see me thrown into an apoplectic despair at the sight of one far-off cloud on the horizon on an otherwise bright summer’s day. However, I do have a masochistic enjoyment; some would call it an insane love, of riding in the rain. This weather-related penance I put myself through is, I believe, inherent in many cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts as we love the challenge of pitting our steely resolve against the worst the elements can throw at us. Part of this enjoyment comes from the stories to be told post-ride; some of these can even enter cycling folk-lore for years to come. Such stories are subject to exponential  exaggeration as the tale is told and re-told, thus a light drizzle during a ride, in the telling of the story months and even years down the line, becomes hailstones as big as golf balls.

I can count on one hand the memorable stories I have of cycling in great weather, but my tales of derring-do in the worst of conditions are enough to burst out of the doors of a not inconsiderable sized bike shed. This may, however, also be due to the amount of good weather days not being more than I could count on one hand. Perhaps it is an innate quality that runs through the veins of cyclists in Scotland; an acceptance of the wet reality and a determination to put a positive spin on it;  and as I look out my study window I see that the rain has just started again, so I’d better saddle up and get out and ride.

Scot Tares

Twitter: @SkinnyTyres

Where to Ride: A road ride around Knockhill, Dunfermline

Location:Cleish – Knockhill Circular – Moderate Road Ride

OS Map 58 Landranger 1:50000 –

Start in Kinross  NT119016

Distance:23miles/ 37km
Details:Starting in Kinross this hilly road circuit takes you out on the un-classified road past Gellybank and up through Nivingston Crags. Join the B914 for a short section west, before turning north on the A823 past Knockhill. Just beyond Hill End turn east again on the un-classified road to Cleish and then back to Kinross

Copyright DC Thompson 2012

Skinny Tyres logo showing the silhouette of a female cyclist against an abstract background with the words Skinny Tyres in white in the foreground.

Cycling and music

Taken from the Blazing Saddles Column in the Tayside Courier Weekend Supplement 1.9.12

As Bradley Wiggins brings his mod styling to the cycling world, Scot Tares wonders: is cycling is the new rock and roll?

“As a kid, I had a dream – I wanted to own my own bicycle. When I got the bicycle, I must have been the happiest boy in Liverpool, maybe in the world.  I lived for that bike.  Most kids left their bikes in the backyard at night.  Not me.  I insisted on taking mine indoors and the first night I even kept it in my bed.” ~ John Lennon

Throughout the 2012 Olympics I had my copy of “Theme for Velodrome” by the Chemical Brothers blasting through the speakers in my kitchen, its Kraftwerk-inspired beats just the latest in a long line of music inspired by the humble bicycle. It’s hard to think of any other human invention that has inspired, or been the theme of, so much musical creation; in San Francisco there is even an annual bicycle music festival. My first exposure to two-wheeled musicality was “Bicycle Race” by Queen and still, many years later, when I hear a bike bell being rung the song starts playing over in my head. I also recall Mick Talbot from the Style Council appearing on Top of the Pops in 1984 sporting a Raleigh Campagnolo cycling jersey, bringing mods and bikes together when Wiggins was only four years old.

Some bands, such as Kraftwerk, have devoted whole albums to the bicycle and perhaps the pumping of pedals at 90 to 120 revolutions per minute lend themselves well to the electronic drive of such music. Other bands have used cycling to inspire their name: “Bombay Bicycle Club” come to mind, as do “Abdoujaparov”, formed after the break-up of Carter USM and named after the Uzbekistan road sprinter of the early 1990s.

Even when the musicians don’t write about bikes many of them will wax lyrical about their love of cycling:  Beyonce, Ben Harper, Gary Kemp are all keen cyclists and some, such as drummer Neil Peart, from Rush and ex-Talking Head David Byrne have written books of their experiences on their worldwide bike journeys. Byrne has even gone as far as recording an album of music and atmospheric sounds to accompany the audio reading of his book.

For me I have a playlist on my mp3 player that accompanies me when I train indoors on the bike. I know of cyclists who ride on the road with ear-buds in and one who even kept the music still playing whilst on a group ride. My personal feeling is that this is dangerous, but I also feel it diminishes the sensation and natural music created whilst out on the bike; the rush of wind, the whirr of the chain and the sound of nature as you pass through it. This is the real music of the bicycle and a sound that will continue to influence musicians for many years to come.

Scot Tares

Twitter: @SkinnyTyres

Where to Ride – Family Cycle Route around Templeton Woods, Dundee

Location:Templeton Wood Trails

OS Map 54 Landranger 1:50000 – NO359344

Situated just to the north of Camperdown Park

Distance:Various
Map:A downloadable map of the routes in Templeton woods as well as several others in the city of Dundee  is available at: http://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/outaccess/biketrails/
Details:Templeton Woods is an ideal venue for a short off-road ride with the family. There is plenty to see and do in the woodland and the woodland visitor centre is an ideal start and finish point.

Copyright DC Thompson 2012

Skinny Tyres logo showing the silhouette of a female cyclist against an abstract background with the words Skinny Tyres in white in the foreground.

Cycling and old age

Taken from the Blazing Saddles Column in the Tayside Courier Weekend Supplement 25.8.12

Scot Tares looks forward to retirement so he can get out on his bike more

I feel that I am entitled to my share of light-heartedness and there is nothing wrong with enjoying one’s self simply, like a boy. ~ Leo Tolstoy In response to criticism for learning to ride a bicycle at age 67

As long as I have cycled I have known of men and women, in the autumn of their pedalling careers that look and talk like they are getting on a bike for the first time. I am often jealous of them, not only do they have a life-time of tales from the saddle, but now, usually retired, they have even more time to get out and ride every day.

Just as Tolstoy hinted at, riding a bike takes you back to your days of youth, where you had nothing to do and all day to do it. When I was young my bike accompanied me on my adventures like a dog at my side. It sat patiently at the bottom of trees I had stopped to climb, and kicked wildly as we hurtled down hills. During school holidays we would be out from first thing until the sun started to set and the voice of my Mum would call out for me to get home for a bath and bed,

40 years on and as soon as I sit on a saddle and turn the pedals the same feeling kicks right back in and it is this feeling that makes the bike such a wonderful invention, it’s a time machine for the soul. During periods where I have cycled less than I would have liked or worse not at all, my mood bears the burden of every one of my years. Often when I get like this my wife is heard to shout, “Just go and get out on your bike and stop bothering me”.

Whatever age of cyclist you are, writer and journalist, Malachi O’Doherty’s new book “On My Own Two Wheels – Back in the Saddle at 60” is worth a read. He tells the story of his journey to regain his youth by getting back on the bike and poignantly talks of bikes “propped decaying against a yard wall”, being symbolic of “lost freedom”, the bike being a relic of a life the owners don’t live anymore. It’s a powerful story and one that is common among all cyclists, old and new, returning and lapsed; the power of the bicycle to invigorate life, rekindle old friendships and spark new ones; it frees the mind and body of the shackles of age. As society strives for more and more ways to counter ageing, perhaps we should all turn and look at the simple bicycle.

Scot Tares

Twitter: @SkinnyTyres

“On My Own Two Wheels” by Malachi O’doherty is published by Blackstaff Press ISBN 978-0-85640-889-2

Where to Ride – A road ride around the Carse of Gowrie

Location:The Carse of Gowrie

OS Map 53 Landranger 1:50000

Distance:Various
Ascent:If you stay on the south side of the A90, then the riding is pan flat
Details:Kingoodie, to the west of Dundee is a good starting point to explore the Carse of Gowrie and the network of roads all the way to St Madoes. It’s an area I rode in from an early age and the flat terrain in ideal for a family cycle.

Copyright DC Thompson 2012

Skinny Tyres logo showing the silhouette of a female cyclist against an abstract background with the words Skinny Tyres in white in the foreground.

A night-time MTB ride on Ben Vrackie

Taken from the Blazing Saddles Column in the Tayside Courier Weekend Supplement 18.8.12

Scot Tares forgets some lessons of his youth, but survives to laugh about it

“Great things are done when men and mountains meet. This is not done by jostling in the street.“ – William Blake

For many an ex-pupil of Harris Academy, Mr Stibbles (I still find it hard to call him by his first name of Dave) will be a name that they remember from their days in PE. It is because of Mr Stibbles that I started going to the hills on foot, safe under his tuition and instruction. He was a pioneer of the Duke of Edinburgh Award at the school and indeed was recognised with an MBE for his efforts. It was with the Duke of Edinburgh Award that I also joined my first cycling club inDundee, “The Charles Star CC” in Menzieshill and took up many other activities that I continue to this day. The hillwalking skills that Dave Stibbles passed on to me over my three awards have stood me in great stead as I have navigated my way off mountains in complete white out conditions. He drummed into us the necessity of being fully prepared for all conditions and I still hike with enough supplies and equipment that would keep an Arctic explorer alive for months.

However, I fear that Dave Stibbles would have had his head in his hands if he could have seen me atop Ben Vrackie one winter’s evening during the heavy snows of 2010. If I had been walking I would have been fully prepared, but here I was with a group of riders from Pitlochry, mountain biking through the darkness up the hillside to Loch a Choire in little more than mountain bike ¾ length shorts and a cycling top. I had a pack with the basic gear, but the forecast was for snow and when it started it was horizontal, but we carried on, shouldering our bikes across the top of Meall h-Aodainn Moire, now walking in ankle deep snow. Our headlamps caught the snow as it blew into our faces and gave the impression of travelling through space at warp drive. We reached the top and jumped back on the bikes and the descent to Killiecrankie was fast and stunning as we fought to keep the bikes upright in the rutted and snow filled track. The ride back to Pitlochry along the River Garry was fast and furious as we whooped through the narrow tracks at the river’s edge, finally emerging at Faskally and then into the centre of Pitlochry. As we rode through Pitlochry laughing, we felt alive; the contrast of lights in houses as people sat in front of televisions to the experience we had just battled through gave us huge grins and made us feel that we’d made the most of an otherwise quiet winter’s evening. The spirit of adventure sparked all those years ago by Dave Stibbles and the Duke of Edinburgh Award was still beating strong.

The route on Ben Vrackie is a challenging route in summer or winter and you should be fully prepared for challenging mountain conditions.

You can find out more about the Duke of Edinburgh Award at – http://www.dofe.org/

Where to ride – a mountain bike ride on Ben Vrackie, Highland Perthshire

Location:Ben Vrackie

OS Map 43, 52 & 53 Landranger 1:50000

Start – NN 945 575 Pitlochry High Street

Distance:9 miles/ 14.5km
Ascent:984ft/ 300m

Scot Tares

Twitter – @SkinnyTyres

Copyright DC Thompson 2012

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