Member's stories

Fat Boab

I had cycled a lot in my 20's and early 30's, but my bike languished unused during the years of child-rearing and career-building. It withstood this period of neglect better than my body though. You may recognise this as a typical description of a mid-life crisis. After a New Year's resolution, some weight loss, and a new bike (a very modest £500 road bike), I started to tour the roads again.

I had always cycled on my own, even when younger, and never considered competitive cycling. I didn't think I'd be fit enough for a cycling club. After a few months I had gradually increased my mileage, and was commuting 12 miles each way to work by bike, and doing a long ride on a Sunday. I was keen to ride a couple of sportives, but knew I should really learn about riding in a group. I also thought it might be interesting to try a time trial...my targets were 30 minutes for 10 miles, and 1hr 15mins for 25 miles. I met an OVW member commuting one day, who encouraged me to join a club run. I still didn't feel confident enough, and it took another couple of months before I finally did.

Everyone was very friendly from the start. I received useful advice about how my bike was set up, riding technique and group ettiquette. Most importantly though, I learned to push myself a bit harder than I had thought myself capable of. Within 3 months I was regretting not having joined much earlier. I received encouragement to think about racing and time trialling, and started doing midweek chaingang training with the club.

2 years on...I have completed about a dozen hugely enjoyable road races, acheived some respectable times in sportives, been under the hour a few times in 25 mile time trials, and had a 23:01 in a 10 mile TT. I have made some great friends in the club, been to the club training week in Mallorca, received trophies at the annual dinner, and been the event secretary for an open time trial. I am much fitter, and a much better cyclist than I would have been had I remained a lone wolf.

Rob Jones

I was riding bikes from an early age and cycling on the road was always for me. A few friends and I would take our Peugeot's and Raleigh's on day trips from the age of 10. We enjoyed the freedom the bikes gave us to explore as much as the exercise. We'd occasionally join our local CTC but soon fall out with them due to our lack of mudguards and inability to wait!

Somewhere between childhood and adulthood however, my cycling became increasingly solo. I started commuting in my mid 20s, initially short distances and then later as I moved further from where I worked, up to 25 mile round trips. These were joined by regular Saturday or Sunday rides, averaging up to 17mph but usually alone. Though aware of the health and environmental benefits of cycling, my main reason has always been that I enjoy cycling and where it takes me.

I gradually got into the kit and the specialist clothes through my 20s. My first decent bike was purchased with inheritance money after my Gran died about 7 years ago. It was a Specialised Seqia Elite. I had some expense to justify and a comfortable fairly quick ride too.

About 4 years ago my brother entered us both in the Dragon Ride. Unfortunately he conveniently fell off his motorbike and broke his leg before the event such that I had to do the Dragon Ride by myself. It took me 8 hours and about 40 mins. I was suddenly hooked on the bigger climbs and riding in a group. The next year the Dragon took me less than 7 hours 30 mins. My improvement in a single year triggered me to look up local cycling clubs and I settled on Ogmore Valley Wheelers (OVW). I soon settled into the 9am Sunday Club runs and the next year (as a club rider) the Dragon Ride took me 6 hours 20odd mins (top 50 time). By this time the Club Captain at the time and others had already got me into racing and time trialling. I soon learned the road cycling etiquette and that I could save 20% energy or ride 20% faster by riding with others in a group.

Over my first few seasons as a member of OVW, the Club has moved me on from being an interested but rudderless cyclist, to one now obsessed with road racing, time trialling and even training! The club has helped me push myself further than I ever thought possible - from a 4th cat to a 2nd cat during my second racing season, and also under the hour on my first fast 25 mile time trial course. My biggest surprise was to learn that I'm half decent at sprinting. I assumed I was too old (and slight a build) to be any good at this. Perhaps most memorable though are the always enjoyable and sometimes epic Sunday Club runs. I may in a few years time move away from the competition side of cycling, but I think the Sunday club runs will be a feature for many years.

Because OVW is based on a social group of people doing things for cycling rather than any commercial agenda, you soon notice that most give as much as they get from being in the Club. I've started to give back through my role as Kit Secretary and more recently Club Captain. Now I've got a family, cycling is the only selfish hobby I really have time for, but in the company of OVW, it's also the only one I really need. I don't know what I'm looking forward to most right now - Majorca 2011, Ras De Cymru 2011, or simply the next Sunday Club run!