Cycle Station

In this episode I talk with Ross Burrage about the Masaka Cycling Club Foundation.Ross is the host of the Hidden Athlete podcast (listen here) and is a keen ultra cyclist. He's also a humanitarian and over the past couple of years has been supporting cyclists in Uganda.Southern Uganda is one of the poorest regions on earth and is home to the first known case of HIV, a disease that destroyed generations. It boasts some extraordinary cycling talent, yet they have no equipment to showcase their abilities, and are suppressed by poverty and corruption. The Masaka Cycling Club Foundation has been created to enable cycling fans and humanitarians from all over the world to support cyclists in this region. In doing so you have the ability to free them from the barrier of poverty and help them chase their cycling dreams. Some of the riders recently took part in the Migration Gravel Race in Kenya and finished in the top 10, which is an amazing result. I spoke with Ross before the race so you can find out about how they prepared and what the project is aiming to achieve.If you'd like to follow the club or donate you can find out more on their website , Instagram or Facebook.Thanks allDanSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyclestation)

In this episode I talk with local road racer Red Walters. Red's on a journey to becoming a pro rider. He's raced for Vitus Pro Cycling in 2019 and has now made a big move over to France to join his new team CC Plancoet for 2021. I spoke to him earlier in the year before the move. We talk about how he got into cycling, the reasons he loves racing so much and what it was like to get a contract with a Pro Team. We also have a good chat about training, the importance of data, how training throughout the pandemic has changed for Red and what his plans and goals are for 2021.If you'd like to follow Red's journey head on over to his Instagram.Thanks everyone, I hope you enjoy the episode.DanSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyclestation)

In this episode I talk with Andy Carr founder of Spoon Customs and now CEO of WyndyMilla and Gun Control Paint. Andy started spoon customs after changing careers, going through a divorce and escaping to the mountains on the border of France and Italy. I've always been fascinated with custom bikes and have followed the brands for several years so I was really happy Andy decided to come and talk with me. I wanted to get to know some of the people behind the brands and would like to thank Andy for sharing his story. We talk about why he decided to start a custom bike brand, how he did it, why he loves building bikes, how things have been throughout lockdown, the importance of bike fit and the vision for the companies going forward. Andy's passion for the bikes and the brands really shines through, he clearly knows his materials as we have a chat about steel and carbon too. If you'd like to find out more about the brands head on over to their websites, Spoon Customs, WyndyMilla & Gun Control Paint.Thanks for listening, I hope you enjoy the episode.DanSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyclestation)

In this episode I talk with Imogen Cotter. Imogen cycles for a living, having raced for the Irish national team she's moved over to Belgium to ride at an elite level. She started the Tour of Flanders in 2020 and she also coaches cycling with Panache Coaching. She's recently joined the Movistar esports team too. We have a chat about how she changed her sport from running to cycling, her move to Belgium, what it's like riding bikes for a living and how she stays motivated, particularly throughout the past year. You'll also hear from her dog Blue throughout the episode as a cat or something got into the garden. I'd like to thank Imogen for coming on and talking with me. Thanks for listening everyone, I hope you enjoy the episode.You can follow what Imogen is up to via her Instagram or blog too.DanSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyclestation)

In this episode I talk with Sean Hardy. Sean not only has an awesome surname (it might be the same as mine haha) but Sean's also an amazing photographer and has taken pictures of pro cyclists, photographed at the world tours, the classics and for multiple cycling brands and magazines. I've always enjoyed Sean's cycling pictures so thought I'd contact him to see whether he'd come on to talk about what it's like being a photographer on the pro cycling scene. We have a chat about how he changed jobs from working in an office to 'blagging' (his words not mine) his way through his first cycling photography opportunity. The reasons he loves photography, what he looks for in an image and how life behind the lens is at the races. Id like to thank Sean for coming on and and being so open and honest about what he does. He's clearly found his passion in life and it shines through. He's got some cool opportunities in the women's pro scene for 2021 which we have a brief chat about toward the end of the episode. If you'd like to see more of his photography head over to his website or Instagram.Thanks for listening everyone, I hope you enjoy it.DanSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyclestation)

In this episode I talk with Emily Chappell. I got in touch with Emily last season and asked if she'd come on and talk to me about why she rode bikes, she agreed.  I'm sure most of you will know who Emily is. Emily's an adventurer, ultra cyclist, author. Has been a bike messenger in London, has raced and won the transcontinental and has rode around the world. She's done so much more too. The reasons why we ride our bikes varies by person and the reasons can change over time. I've always been fascinated by people that ride big miles and wanted to talk to Emily about her experiences. Clearly, the 'why' of something is always pretty complex. In this episode Emily shares with me some of the things she loves about cycling, how her relationship with it has changed over time and how it makes her feel. We also have a chat about her cycling history and some of the plans she's got for 2021.It was a pleasure chatting with Emily and I'm honoured she's come on to chat with me. I've followed her cycling for years and read all her books, so talking with her was proper amazing. If you'd like to check out Emily's social media you can find her on twitter and instagram.I hope you enjoy the episode. ThanksDanSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyclestation)

In this episode I talk with Steven le Hyaric, an adventurer and former pro-cyclist from France. Steven has cycled since a young age & raced as a pro rider for many years. He then decided to end his career and become a monk in Nepal.After this period as a monk he decided to live a life of adventure, and wow has he completed some adventures. He's cycled the Himalayan trail, rode Paris to Dakar, cycled up Kilimanjaro, aims to cycle the world's 7 summits and is continuing his 666 challenge, cycling across 6 deserts within 6 months. He also rides multiple ultra-distance races each year too.We talk about his life, why he seeks out adventures, anxieties of big challenges, meditation and what he's got coming up this year. He also shares some of the things that have gone wrong on his most recent ride up Kilimanjaro, it's quite the story.I loved speaking with Steven and found a lot of what he said really wise and relatable. If you'd like to find out more about what Steven's up to you can find info over on his website or his Instagram.Thanks for listening all, I hope you enjoy it.DanSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyclestation)

In this episode I talk with Zahir Nayani, the creator of the Fasted 500.The Fasted 500 is a pioneering independent Ramadan cycling challenge. In Zahir's own words:"I love cycling and also happen to be Muslim.  Many of us substantially (and, in some instances, completely) reduce exercise during Ramadan to conserve energy.  That goes for us cyclists too.  I think that's a shame as, for most of us, a sensible level of exercise should pose no harm in a fasted state.  In fact, light exercise during the month can help give lethargy and sloth the heave-ho.So, here we have an independent spin-off of Rapha's now iconic Festive 500 with the aim of encouraging more Muslims to keep active during Ramadan (and hopefully continue the habit afterwards!).  Amidst the backdrop of the pandemic, we believe this initiative to be all the more important.  A daily dose of fresh air can do wonders for headspace and, from a personal perspective, we've found cycling to have an uncanny habit of decluttering our minds. "We have a chat about Zahir's experiences of riding whilst fasting, what Ramadan is and when it takes place and about the support he's been getting from the cycling community. We also have a chat about bikepacking, the trips Zahir has planned this year and about local riding route in Swindon, we live very close!If you'd like to find out more about the challenge feel free to checkout the website or instagram.Thanks all. I hope you enjoy the episode.DanSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyclestation)

In this first episode of Season 3 I talk with Boru McCullagh who back in December cycled the Rapha festive 500. He did it a bit different though. He cycled it in one go and around a velodrome, 1,112 laps to be exact. To make it even more challenging the velodrome, Herne Hill in London, is an outdoor one. As it's Easter I thought what better time to release an inspiring story about riding 500kms at Christmas time, haha!It's such a cool story that created quite a buzz on social media at the time, a proper awesome film was also made about Boru (& Tim's) challenge. You can find Calvin's film over on his YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/channel/UCG1QONPoEMhtM-TbojI5usQ). I talk with Boru about his cycling background, that important question ' why he rides' and how he prepared both physically and mentally for the challenge. If you want to find out more about Herne Hill Velodrome where Boru coaches go checkout the website www.hernehillvelodrome.com.Thanks so much for all your support everybody! I hope you enjoy this episode and season 3.DanSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyclestation)

In the final episode of season 2 I talk with Ulrich (Uba) Bartholmoes, ultra-distance champion and current winner of many ultra races in Europe.Ulrich has a fascinating story of how he got into ultra distance cycling, purely through the love of riding his bike, and whilst in Spain on holiday in 2019 he decided to enter the Trans Pyrenees Race......and won!He won it with no prior experience of ultra racing. He's gone on to win many ultra distance races including the Trans Iberica (a 9+ day race), Three Peaks Bike Race and the Two Volcano Sprint. In this episode we talk about how he got into ultra racing and more specifically about his attempt of the Two Volcano Sprint in Italy, a 1,100km ride with 24,000m of climbing. He had won the race in 2019 and had decided to ride it again as he loved the route so much. In this race he decided to try some new tactics and to see if he could do it on no (or very little) sleep, this is a +50hour race! We talk about the route, his training, his tactics, why he rides big miles and how he fits it all in around a full time job.You can find out more about Uba and what he's up to at www.uba-cycling.de.You can find info on the Two Volcano Sprint race at www.twovolcanosprint.com. Thanks for listening all. I'll be back in April for season 3.Enjoy!DanSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyclestation)

In this episode I talk with Michelle Brideau.  Michelle's originally from Canada but is now living in Bristol UK with her husband.Michelle started cycling after having her first flare of Chrons disease, she soon found regular cycling was helping to keep her symptoms under control.  I found our chat about how she manages her disease extremely interesting and very similar to my experiences with Ulcerative Colitis.Like many of us she fell in love with cycling pretty quickly and decided she wanted a big trip across her home country of Canada, a 4100 mile trip from one coast to the other.  Upon her return to the UK Michelle's gone on to ride big miles and has rode many Audax rides. She hosts a YouTube channel called Ride On Cycling where she celebrates bikes, has many informative videos and documents her rides. You can find out more about Michelle's rides on Youtube (www.youtube.com/channel/UCgZu2jNyVKDtqoq0zTUCDnw) and via Instagram @cycling_woman.We have a chat about Michelle's tour, her preparations, dealing with bears, the highs and the lows and all things you'd expect from a bike tour.Thanks for listening DanSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyclestation)

In this episode I talk with Becky Gribble. Becky got into cycling in 2019 as a complimentary sport to her swimming, she fell in love with it, joined a team and started racing. That was until 2020 paused racing.In 2021 Becky will be racing for clash racing (www.clashracing.uk), an alternative racing team founded in Bristol. Go check them out, they've got a real fresh approach to cycle racing. I started this podcast to talk to cyclists about their stories which I've personally found inspiring. Stories such as big cycling adventures, huge feats of endurance but also recovery from crashes or life changing events. Back in late 2019 Becky had a seizure and was diagnosed with epilepsy. In the episode we have a chat about how this has changed her sporting life, what she's done to adapt and we also talk about her racing plans for 2021.I'd like to thank Becky for coming on and talking about this as I know it's still quite fresh for her.If you'd like to see what Becky's up to you can find her on Instagram @becky_gribble.Thanks allDanSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyclestation)

In this episode I talk with Josh Garman who recently cycled across England with E.T, the little alien dude from the 80s.He decided to cycle 600 miles across England to raise money for a charity called Hope for Hasti. You can find out more about the cause here www.justgiving.com/campaign/hopeforhasti.We talk about what inspired him to have an adventure on the bike, why the charity is important to him and how he toured 600 miles on a mountain bike with little previous experience of riding big miles.It was a pleasure to talk with Josh and the whole time we were talking I had a smile on my face. He really brings to life why he did the trip and how he had to get creative to make it happen with such short notice. I hope the story puts a smile on your face over the Christmas period and hopefully it inspires some of you to have a bike trip of your own. If you'd like to donate to Hope for Hasti I know Josh would greatly appreciate it.You can find josh via Instagram @expeditionjoshOne last thing, Josh and I nearly lost most of the audio due to a technical issue and from minute 25 the audio changes slightly. Hopefully it's not too noticeable!Thanks all, I hope you enjoy it.Dan Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyclestation)

In this episode I talk with renowned endurance adventurer Sean Conway and Kev Merrey, an experienced adventure film maker.A couple of weeks ago they bike-packed the snowdonia360 route in Wales on e-bikes. You can find info on the route at www.snowdonia360.com. Before seeing their adventure on Instagram I'd not really thought that e-bikes could be used on a multi day tour but Sean and Kev have proved that you can, and it sounds like they had some proper fun on the bikes. We talk about the route, the bikes, whether they had 'range-anxiety' and the fun they had whilst using their 'juice' up the hills.You can find out more about Sean and his past adventures at www.seanconway.com.You can find out more about Kev's adventure film company Skyrise Productions at www.skyriseproductions.co.uk. Also, both Sean and Kev are on Instagram where they documented their Snowdonia360 trip.Thanks guys, I hope you enjoy it.DanSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyclestation)

In this episode I have a chat with Becky Hair. Becky has competed internationally in triathlon, raced crits and in 2019 fell in love with hill climb races. This year she finished top 10 in the national hill climb championships too. We have a chat about a really important topic in this episode , the equal treatment of women in cycling. Along with other local female riders, Becky has been leading a campaign called #climbhighertogether which aims to get more women sharing their experiences with cycle racing on social media, helping to inspire more women to cycle and to raise awareness of gender inequality in the sport. Becky shares her own experiences of cycle racing as a woman, she talks about what needs to change and how her campaign (and others) are making big leaps forward in improving equality.We also have a chat about the fascinating world of hill climb racing. You can find Becky @Tri_Raving on Instagram or on Facebook (www.facebook.com/BeckyHairSportsMassagePhysiotherapy/).Feel free to give #climbhighertogether a search on social media and show the campaign some support.Thanks so much for listening guys, I really do appreciate it. I hope you enjoy the episode. DanSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyclestation)

In this episode I talk with Mark Beaumont who holds the world record for the fastest time around the globe by bicycle. He also happens to have been born in Swindon! Mark has made a career of World firsts covering over 130 nations & territories, made documentaries over 15 years for the BBC, GCN & CNN, as well as publishing 5 books. Having cycled around the World twice, he now holds this 18,000-mile record in 78 days & 14 hours – achieving the famous ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ for the first time by bicycle. Off the bike, these record breaking journeys have been through the high Arctic, mountaineering and ocean rowing, including surviving capsize in the mid-Atlantic.  Mark was awarded a British Empire Medal in the Queen’s New Years honours for contributions to sport and charity.  He also has a background in business & economics.  He is a partner of Eos Advisory, an early stage Innovation Fund, backing science, engineering and technology companies.We have a chat about him being born down South, his world record and how he's built the level of endurance needed to cycle an average of 250 miles a day for 78 days. He has a book covering all things 'Endurance' (www.shop.globalcyclingnetwork.com/endurance-how-to-cycle-further-book) And a podcast where he talks with the world's best coaches (www.podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/endurance/id1533233039).Thanks all, I hope you enjoy the episode.DanSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyclestation)

In this episode I have a chat with Anisa Aubin who recently raced, and finished the GBDuro. The GBDuro is a race created by the Racing Collective (https://www.theracingcollective.com/). This is how they describe the race:'GBDURO is a 2000km self-supported bikepacking enduro from Land's End to John O'Groats on road, gravel, singletrack, and everything in between.​ ​The event follows our GBDIVIDE route designed to embrace the versatility of 'all-road' bikes to cover big distances on new roads and ancient ways, immersing riders in the rich and unique history that has shaped the British Isles. Under normal conditions the ride consists of 4 timed stages (~500km each); lowest aggregate time over the 4 stages 'wins'... nothing.'Anisa is an experienced ultra racer with finishes under her belt in races such as the  TransAtlantic way, Paris-Brest-Paris and the Trans Continental. As she rides she also raises funds for a charity to help children get an education over in Malawi, Africa.We have a talk about her experience with the GBDuro and how she left everything on the route.A link to Anisa's fundraising can be found here. www.give.net/DreamridersI hope you enjoy the episode.ThanksDanSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyclestation)

In this episode I talk to Dr Ian Walker. By day, he is an environmental psychologist at the University of Bath, specialising in transport choices, traffic safety, energy consumption and water use. Ian's professional interest in clean transport and traffic safety also extends into his personal life, where he takes part in ultradistance bicycle racing. I'd heard of Ian in the cycling circles but I really got to know his story from his recent book Endless Perfect Circles, which I read on my recent bike trip to Cornwall. You can find details of the book here, www.drianwalker.com/circlesHis book introduces readers to the extraordinary world of nonstop bicycle races that last for weeks at a time. It describes how Ian won a tough 4300-kilometre race before breaking the Guinness World Record for the fastest ever bicycle crossing of Europe in 2019.In the first hour we talk about how he went from a guy who didn't think he had any sporting ability, to racing ultras and breaking a pretty incredible world record. Its a really interesting story and it was a pleasure to talk to Ian. We also have a chat for the last 20 minutes of the episode about transport psychology. It's pretty fascinating stuff. I hope you enjoy the episode. Thanks.DanSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyclestation)

In this episode I talk with Matt Jones. An experienced mountain bike racer who has previously been the UK and European 24 hour champion.He's recently got a road bike and decided to plan his own challenge, a 1000km bikepacking ride around the perimeter of Wales. To be completed in 3 days, blimey.We talk about his race history, training, family life and all about his recent 1000km bikepacking challenge.Hope you enjoy it guys Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyclestation)

In this episode I talk with Ste White who has recently returned from an around the world cycle trip.Ste spent 11 months cycling and talks to me about why he decided to embark on such an epic trip. Ste takes us through the route, his most memorable moments, what it takes to ride around the world and some of the more challenging things that happened along the way.I loved talking to Ste and really appreciate his honest approach in telling his story. He doesn't hold back bringing to life the challenging moments, some of which are quite emotional.Apologies for some of the audio quality on my end. Towards the end of last season I was having some technical problems with my PC and mic. I now have a new PC and mic so that should be sorted going forward.As always, thanks very much for listening. I hope you like the next 10 episodes which'll release over autumn and winter.Grab a cuppa and enjoy!DanSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cyclestation)