Saddle up, hit the road and have a lightbulb moment

NO MATTER what your hobby, sporting pursuit or pastime, you have probably experienced a lightbulb moment – something that made you stop and think ‘Yes. This is for me.’ I remember during one of my early trips out on the bike, a few of us decided to take on the Sally Gap in the Wicklow Mountains. It’s not an overly long climb, nor indeed is it very steep, but it was our Everest. We had built it up in our minds to such an extent that it seemed much tougher than we now know it to be. Anyway, having hauled our sorry asses to the summit, we pointed ourselves in the direction of Laragh with the promise of coffee and a sticky bun when we got there.

We didn’t plan the next bit, but two of us began the descent at a steady lick and picked up pace as we went. The road just seemed to open up before us. There were no cars, we could see far enough ahead not to be concerned about nasty surprises and the surface was smooth and dry. With the wind in our faces and trading places at the front as we went, it was as close to flying as you can get without actually leaving the ground.

As the road levelled off at the end and we slowed right down, we just looked at each other and laughed. That was it. We were hooked.

There was a time when no self-respecting middle-aged man would be seen dead climbing on his bike and taking to the by-roads of Ireland, clad in Lycra and huffing and puffing his way up hill and down dale.

If he was old enough to have escaped on the other side of the child-rearing years, and young enough to be still short of the grandchildren-entertaining era, he was most likely to be found spending his summer Sundays on the golf course.

Not anymore. Cycling is the new golf, and it’s not too difficult to understand why. Today’s health-conscious middle-aged man wants to be out doing something that might actually be good for him, and something that he might actually be good at – or at least look the part.

There’s also the camaraderie aspect. Men like to hang around together and they can enjoy the social aspect of sitting down for a coffee with their mates, chatting about the spin, everything in general and nothing in particular, without having to worry about the drink-driving laws on the way home. And guess what? It’s not just for the men. The whole family can take part, either together or separately without fear or favour. Most leisure events are run with this in mind, offering various routes for cyclists of various abilities. And many with a charitable aspect too.

Governments are beginning to take cycling more seriously as a real alternative to clogged city streets, but there is still a long way to go before the roads of Ireland are safe enough to inspire confidence in those who are understandably nervous about committing to a more healthy way of getting from A to B.

There is a proposal to introduce a law that would result in a fine and penalty points for drivers who fail to allow enough room for cyclists — 1.5 metres on roads with speed limits of more than 50kmh and one metre on roads with lower speed limits. It sounds good, but we already have laws against driving through orange and red traffic lights which are flouted at just about every light change. How would a new law like that be enforced? The answer, unfortunately, is that it wouldn’t.

What is needed is a complete change in our national approach to cycling. And much better infrastructure.

In these pages you will find a lot of useful information to help you get out and discover the countryside from an entirely new aspect. Paul Kimmage will guide you through your fist steps of actually getting yourself on the bike, and show you how your love for what he calls the greatest sport in the world can develop from there.

We hope that you will be encouraged to make your own lightbulb moment.