The Wheel has Turned
Heather Boyle of Cycling Ireland explains why there’s been a huge resurgence of two-wheeled activity
Heather Boyle guides us through the many Cycling Ireland programmes available
PEOPLE are increasingly taking to two wheels as both a form of transport and as a fun and healthy activity. In Cycling Ireland, the national governing body for the sport, our membership, at 29,000, has grown 720 per cent in the past 10 years. People have rediscovered the beauty of cycling, they are commuting by bike more, and more people are looking at cycling as a way to keep fit, healthy, and to set themselves fun and achievable challenges.
Riding a bike is a rite of passage for many; it represents one of your first memories of accomplishment and independence, and is one of the top four most popular activities in Ireland today.
From a toddler on a balance bike to a retiree enjoying the roads or trails, there is something for everyone. Cycling Ireland has almost 500 clubs across the country, and more than 900 cycling events annually. There’s a right group and a suitable challenge out there for everyone.
Membership of Cycling Ireland includes personal and public liability insurance, as well as discounts for many cycling events.
The boom in Irish cycling can be attributed to a number of factors, with the introduction of the Bike to Work Scheme being one of the key initial drivers. Bike rental schemes in Dublin, Cork and Galway made cycling accessible to everyone, and the increased and ongoing investment in cycle lanes, greenways and blueways has created safer environments for commuters, families and individuals.
This investment is crucial if Ireland is looking to increase active travel, and together with Cyclist.ie, Cycling Ireland is pushing for 10 per cent of the transport budget to be allocated to cycling.
DISCIPLINES IN CYCLING
While many think of road cycling when they think of cycling, our mountain bike scene is one of the most vibrant and growing communities, with hubs of activities around the country attracting those with a love for adventures off the beaten track. The Emerald Enduro is a great day out for the family; it’s round four of the World Enduro Series, held on May 26 to 28 in Wicklow.
BMX cycling has also enjoyed a healthy resurrection, and is an area of the sport that has attracted a lot of younger riders. While there are several top-class racing tracks for the serious competitors, there are BMX tracks in most towns nationwide, making it an extremely affordable and accessible area of the sport.
Track cycling is a fast, exciting and competitive discipline in cycling, with bikes that have no brakes and just one gear and the rider going around in circles!
There is no indoor velodrome in Ireland yet, but there are three outdoor tracks — in Dublin, Cork and Belfast.
Irish riders are particularly successful when it comes to track cycling, boasting numerous world medals from riders including Martyn Irvine, Caroline Ryan and our Paracycling Team.
Road cycling is the most popular type of cycling in Ireland, with 65 per cent of Cycling Ireland’s members being ‘leisure cyclists’ participating in the many sportives held around the country each year.
Ireland also has a booming competitive scene, with races like An Post Rás and An Post Rás na mBan driving up the standard of the domestic riders and feeding people into the national teams and professional cycling teams.
Ireland has a superb paracycling team who brought home five medals from each of the past two Paralympic Games. If anyone is interested in trying out tandem cycling, handcycling or any of the other events, they should check out the Invacare Paracycling League, which spans the race calendar.
PROGRAMMES AND YOUTH CYCLING
Cycling Ireland has developed a range of programmes to improve a cyclist’s skill level, which in turn increases their enjoyment of cycling and encourages continued involvement.
While cycling is an activity that is seeing a particular resurgence in popularity among middle-aged people, it is also something that we have promoted heavily among children, as trends have shown that fewer children cycle to school than in previous years. In primary schools the number of children commuting by bike dropped from 22,400 in 1991 to 6,200 in 2011, according to the Census.
SPROCKET ROCKET is a cycling skills programme aimed at children aged 5-12, with a focus on the basic cycling skills like cornering, balance, braking and pedalling. It’s a programme particularly popular with our clubs, who have recognised a significant improvement in the confidence and competence of the children who completed the course.
CYCLE RIGHT was launched at the start of this year and to date more than 80 schools around the country, with over 3,000 participants, are signed up for training in the lead-in to Easter. This is the first time Ireland has had a national standard for cycle training and particular emphasis is placed on educating participants to become competent, confident cyclists who will have the skills to move safely on the road network.
BIKE FOR LIFE is a ‘sofa to saddle’ cycling programme that caters for all cyclists, from the person who has just rediscovered their bike, to the more accomplished rider who wants to take on greater challenges. Delivered by qualified coaches, the programme brings the cyclist on a journey of learning, where they are educated on the various skills, aspects and components of cycling in a safe, welcoming and social environment.
GEARING UP OFF-ROAD is Cycling Ireland’s mountain bike skills programme, designed to help develop the skills needed to safely and competently enjoy mountain biking. It is an action-packed and fun programme aimed at beginner and intermediate riders. Heather Boyle is Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland