Route to Success
The Sport Ireland Series and the Great Dublin Bike Ride are great opportunities to enjoy a day out on the bike
THE 2017 Sport Ireland Cycle Series (previously known as the An Post Cycle Series) was officially launched last week.
Celebrating its ninth year, the series encourages people of all fitness levels to get physically active by getting on their bikes and taking part in fun cycling events across the country between May and September.
The events will take place in five locations in Sligo, Clare, Meath, Waterford and Cork and is co-ordinated by Local Sports Partnerships in conjunction with their city, county and cycling club partners.
Whether you want to take part in one event or fancy challenging yourself to compete in all five, the cycle series has routes for everyone to enjoy.
Family routes will be approximately 10km, while short-, medium- and long-distance routes will be approximately 60km, 100km and 160km.
Registration is open at sportireland.ie/Participation/Sport-Ireland-Cycle-Series/
Series details are:
Sport Ireland Yeats Tour of Sligo (April 29-30)
Sport Ireland Tour de Burren (June 17)
Sport Ireland Meath Heritage Cycle Tour (July 29-30)
Sport Ireland Sean Kelly Tour of Waterford (August 19-20)
Sport Ireland Rebel Tour of Cork (September 9)
Anyone interested in improving their bike skills before the cycle series can complete the Cycling Ireland Bike for Life Programme. This 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.
The skills and knowledge gained in this programme will make the world of cycling more accessible to everyone, with the main focus being on learning skills, enjoying the bike and meeting new like-minded people.
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. What will you learn? Preparing for a bike ride: what to wear, what to bring.
Riding safely on the road: basic road skills, advanced road skills, riding in the dark.
Riding as a group: riding in pairs, riding as a group, group riding etiquette.
Using shared facilities: riding in low-volume traffic, riding in higher volume traffic. Bike handling skills. Nutrition and hydration: dasic requirements for a cyclist.
Bike repair and maintenance: basic bike maintenance.
Training for your riding goals: getting started, going further and cycling challenges.
If you want to register for a Bike for Life course you can find a list of trained Bike for Life leaders on cyclingireland.ie or contact programmes@cyclingireland.ie for more information.