LIFE CHANGER
Mark Royle, 52, from Manchester switched from running to riding to save his knees – and he hasn’t looked back since…
Mark Royle’s knees gave him a new lease of life on the bike
WHAT WAS LIFE LIKE BEFORE THE BIKE?
“Five years ago, after having had my eighth knee operation, I was told by my surgeon to stop running. When I asked him, ‘For how long?’ my surgeon’s answer was, ‘Permanently.’ I really felt at that moment that my sporting life was completely doomed as I’d regularly competed in triathlons, 10km runs and half-marathons for fun.”
HOW DID THE BIKE CHANGE YOUR LIFE?
“After my operation, cycling (and swimming) became more than just my impact-free rehabilitation. I decided to buy a new bike, a Trek Madone 2.1, and I started cycling outdoors regularly with a friend,
Dave. Doing that really helped me to regain my confidence. It was enough for me to pluck up the courage to enter my first sportive – the Cumbrian Cracker 100km in the Lake District. I booked a three-day weekend away with my wife, as she wanted to be there to support me. I completed the Cumbrian Cracker and from that point I was completely hooked on cycling.”
“MY B O D Y F AT L E V E L , D I E T A N D A L L R O U N D H E A LT H I S S O MUCH B E T T E R WI T H
C Y C L I N G A S MY F O C U S ”
HOW OFTEN DO YOU RIDE NOW?
“I cycle every day to and from work, plus Zwift on the turbo trainer, and I’ll head outdoors at the weekends – come rain or shine. I have three road bikes now: a steel frame Peugeot Richard Virenque, my trusty Trek 2.1 and a 2019 Trek Madone SL 6 Full Carbon spec (oh, and a Specialized Rockhopper mountain bike). Since I started cycling after my final knee op, I’ve estimated that I’ve clocked up almost 32,000km on the bike.”
WHAT ARE YOUR CYCLING ACHIEVEMENTS?
“Cycling is a vital part of my life now. I feel much fitter, my weight stays around 64kg and my body-fat level, diet and all-round health is so much better with cycling as my primary focus. I’ve completed more sportives than I can remember, even finishing the Saddleback Fred Whitton Challenge. I’ve also ridden in the USA, France and Spain, as well as the Manchester Velodrome. However, the greatest challenge for me to date has been cycling up and down Mount Teide in Tenerife, raising £5000 for Cancer Research UK in the process.”