Keane amateur

Richard Hughes is the drummer in the rock band Keane. He is also a member of Kingston Wheelers — and channels his passion for music into his riding.

“I’ve been riding a bike my whole life, but regularly on the road bike for about five years. I am a club rider, not a racer, doing a few sportives or shorter Audax rides each year.

“I use songs to keep a cadence in my head, particularly on long climbs. Some choices can get pretty annoying, but they tend to pop into my head rather than being a conscious choice.

“Physically, rock drumming is like cardiac and aerobic interval training: a three to four-minute song, then a short break, then go again. If singing backing vocals as well, it can be pretty tough physically. I have no idea if it’s related to a lifetime of playing gigs, but my heart rate is still capable of going very high — I’ll max out at about 200bpm, even though I’m 41.

“I definitely appreciate that to get better you have to work hard. Keane were an ‘overnight success’ after about 10 years of failure.

“Logistically, there are definitely parallels between touring and doing multi-day events. Planning and preparing are probably the most important, so when I sit at the drum kit or start line, I feel ready and confident.

“Although I’ve only been riding seriously since we stopped touring, my cycling means I appreciate recovery days more. Studio time can be intense and I now realise adding a day off here and there could be good for

my music.”