Orkney Cycling Club

 

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You’re never short of interesting conversation during a ride with Britain’s second most northerly cycling club.

Members include tour guides, brewers, scientists, a marine pilot and a rider who once competed against Tim Krabbé, author of the cult novel about bike racing, The Rider.

Stuart Mayes admits his encounter with the best-selling Dutch author wasn’t in a bike race, but at a chessboard. “He’s a Dutch grandmaster, and I was playing against him years before I knew he was a cyclist,” recalls Mayes.

Orkney boasts a diverse population of residents from all corners of the UK and beyond, and this is reflected in the club’s membership.

Jenny Middlehurst moved here from Barnsley, where she was a regular on the race circuit. “I’ve never missed the racing side, but I did miss the social side of group rides, so the club came along at the perfect time for me,” she says.

Marcel Holdinga is from near Amsterdam but fell in love with Orkney after a holiday here. Surprisingly for a native of the Netherlands, he’s relatively new to road cycling, and is today celebrating his longest ride.

“I stopped cycling when I moved to the UK in 1998, because suddenly there were no bike paths and lots of hills,” he recalls. “I decided to return to the bike earlier this year when I heard about the club — it’s just so relaxed and friendly, with no pressure to keep up. My target now is to get fitter.”

Islander Helga Flett’s reasons for joining the club followed the recent arrival of her first child.