HOW CYCLING CHANGED MY LIFE…
Yorkshireman Dave Walker, 46, rediscovered cycling when he changed jobs. The commute became a passion that’s now shared with his son…
WHEN DID YOU FIRST TAKE UP CYCLING?
“One of my first memories was when I was about 3 and a half – I took off my stabilisers then rode into our garden wall and needed stitches! I was around 12 when my dad bought me my first racing bike, a Raleigh Equipe, with shifters on the down tube and steel rims. I then joined Otley Cycle Club for a few years while gradually upgrading my bike with money from my paper round and milk round.”
HOW HAS GETTING BACK ON THE BIKE CHANGED YOUR LIFE?
“I live in Middlesex now and was commuting into central London by train. Then my job changed and I was able to ride once more. I’d put on weight and wasn’t really exercising, so it gave me loads more energy as I got fitter and more healthy. Now I ride every day, as well as taking up longer distance road rides at weekends and whenever I can get out.”
WHAT’S BEEN YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT TO DATE?
“I’d say it’s been introducing my son Oscar to cycling as well. When I’m not commuting, I like to ride with him in Richmond Park, Bushy Park and the surrounding areas – he’s really taken to it and he now races for London Dynamo U14 youth team. I ride with them also as a volunteer and amateur photographer. My own personal achievement was riding to Morecambe and back with Otley Cycle Club, a distance of around 185 miles, when I wasn’t much older than Oscar is now. I returned home feeling amazing and carried on training in the garage for a couple of hours afterwards!”
WHAT BIKE ARE YOU RIDING NOW?
“My current bike is a Boardman Elite Air 9.0 with many upgrades, including allcarbon chainset, carbon aero bars, carbon Planet X Pro wheels with Vittoria Corsa CX tubs, and an extra pair of Fulcrum Zeros for commuting. I also have many unfinished projects in the shed, including an old LeMond, which I’m partway through stripping, a Planet X RT-80, which I’m going to respray and rebuild, and an old Raleigh. My dream bike would be a Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL6 Disc – though it’s hard to make a call on that!”
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Has cycling changed your life? Email us at cyclingplus@immediate.co.uk
“MY SON’ S REALLY TAKEN TO CYCLING AND NOW RACES FOR THE LONDON DYNAMO U 14 TEAM”