Popularity of Aberdeenshire cycling club shows no signs of slowing as it reaches its 10th anniversary
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What started as an idea hatched at a kitchen table has grown into a popular and expanding north-east sports club now celebrating its 10th anniversary. But Pete Lowson, founder of the Inverurie Cycling Club, ‘Team Ecosse Northboats’, says the key to its success is keeping it fun, safe and sociable.
While cycling’s popularity has boomed in recent years as an environmentally-sound way to travel and to keep fit, thousands of adults still balk at venturing out on the roads of the north-east on a bicycle, far less ever being seen in public wearing figure-hugging Lycra.
As a keen Inverurie-based cyclist, Pete Lowson was acutely aware that convincing reluctant pedallers to get back on their bikes, or even to take-up cycling, would be a significant challenge. But it was a challenge he was determined to take on. After chatting with family and friends around his kitchen table 10 years ago, he decided to create a new cycling club in the area that would put the emphasis on sociable, safe cycling that could appeal to all ages and abilities.
Now, a decade on from that basic idea, the Inverurie Cycling Club, Team Ecosse Northboats, (TEN) has grown to a membership of more than 100 adults and is affiliated to Scottish Cycling. Club.
Chairperson Pete, 42, said: “I was sure many people who fancied biking might be put off from joining a cycling club by the fear that it would be all about Lycra-clad fitness freaks climbing mountain roads at incredible speeds without even getting out of breath. That wasn’t our concept. We set out to provide a friendly and easy-going environment in which to cycle, whether riders were completely new to the sport or seasoned veterans. Our club’s emphasis is still on being inclusive, fun and approachable, offering various rides and activities to cater for a wide range of ages and abilities.”
After securing initial sponsorship and support from local boatbuilder and repairer, Northboats, TEN was launched in 2014 with four original members. An eye-catching club kit was produced and the first regular rides began. The club was an immediate success and soon began to grow in popularity.
“From those few early rides, we have developed an extensive programme of weekly rides, each led by qualified ride leaders who have been through training to ensure everyone is looked after properly”, he continued.
On Monday evenings, TEN runs a Welcome Ride for all new members. Membership is not essential to take part but anyone interested in riding with the club has to attend one of these rides before joining any of the other rides.
“It’s a fine introduction to road riding and to meeting other club members,” Pete said. On Tuesday evenings, there is a Ladies Only ride, aimed at women who have had a break from cycling, who wish to build confidence or have never previously ridden with a club. This ride also acts as a welcome ride and is popular with existing members as well as those new to the club.
TEN’s ride secretary, Jacqueline Ross, said: “Inclusivity is very important to us and we are delighted that about a third of our current members are female. That is an area we are working hard on to grow further”.
Jacqueline added: “I remember one woman nervously turning up for a ride with a traditional sit-up-and-beg bike, complete with small wicker basket on the front. She was made very welcome and in no time was taking part in significant long-distance public events on her new road bike, proudly wearing the club’s cycling kit. She loves it and is now a very experienced rider. We really do make everyone welcome”.
Wednesdays and Saturdays include club social rides of varying distances where cyclists can opt for different speeds within these rides.
“These prove to be popular, not least because of the obligatory refreshment and cake stops in several coffee shops at different locations along the way, which is always very sociable and welcoming,” Pete added.
There are often ad-hoc rides on other days, including Sundays, and regular Zwift virtual rides in winter for those who want to train indoors. Group riding training sessions have been held on the track at the Grampian Transport Museum at Alford and additional sessions held with a local performance coach.
Jacqueline praised the commitment and enthusiasm of the ride leaders who lead each of the organised rides: “Club rides are proving to be very popular and it would be lovely to offer more rides to suit all stages and abilities but rides can only be offered if there are trained volunteers to lead them. The Monday welcome rides have been a great success, while Tuesday rides for ladies have also been very successful and are a great way to build confidence. Some ladies have now joined our Wednesday rides, too.”
She added: “It is vital that no one should ever worry that they will be at the back of any of the groups or feeling they’re going slower than the rest. That’s not the way we work. No one is ever dropped and we look after and accompany everyone who takes part.”
One of the club’s biggest achievements over the past decade has been the establishment of its TEN Youths section which offers weekly coaching by the club’s British Cycling-qualified coaches, as well as on and off-road ride adventures.
Pete said: “TEN has reached the high level of requirements to achieve British Cycling Clubmark accreditation, meaning we are a trusted club to deliver top quality and safe coaching sessions.”
The Youth section meets on a Saturday morning at Kintore and young riders are coached by a team of five fully qualified coaches, learning on-road and off-road skills. One of the coaches holds a Mountain Bike Leader qualification and so some of the youth group have been trying their hand at mountain biking, too.
“Our aim is to provide a friendly and safe environment for young under-18 riders, to develop their love for cycling in a fun and exciting way. The riders are given the opportunity to explore their own interests, regardless of ability or ambitions.TEN Youths is an exciting and growing part of our club and it’s rewarding to see so much enjoyment and enthusiasm from all the kids who attend,” he added.
Last year, Inverurie’s cycling heritage was recognised when TEN was presented with a new trophy, called the Ion Keith-Falconer Memorial Award for Youth Achievement, which was funded by Aberdeenshire Council’s Garioch Area Committee. The award honours the achievements of Ion Grant Neville Keith-Falconer, son of the 8th Earl of Kintore, who competed as a cyclist and won the World Champion title in 1878. The new award provides annual recognition for one of TEN’s youth riders based on their cycling performances and contributions to the club. Although TEN has retained its ethos of relaxed sociable cycling, its success has led many members to develop their skills into group riding at major events, such as the 66-mile closed-road Etape Loch Ness, Tour o’ the Borders and Perthshire’s Etape Caledonia, while 30 members participated in Ride the North this year.
Some have graduated to road racing, too. TEN runs its own road race for competitors from across Scotland each May and time trial races in the autumn. TEN riders participated in each of Aberdeen’s televised City Centre Cycling support races and in 2019, club member Lucy Ritchie took part in the InternationElles team which completed the gruelling 3,460km and more than 52,000m of elevation route of the celebrated Tour de France, riding each stage a day before the world-famous men’s event. Club members are also in the early stages of planning an outing to the classic cycling routes of Majorca in 2025.
But it’s not all about blood sweat and gears. Back in Inverurie, the club runs regular bike maintenance classes for beginners and club members recently led-out the runners round the Run Garioch course.
To commemorate TEN’s first decade, the club has commissioned a special anniversary kit which will be in evidence during the celebration rides based at Fetternear Hall on Saturday, May 25.
TEN has certainly come a long way from those ambitious ideas first discussed over that Inverurie kitchen table.
Pete said: “The club has achieved so much in such a short time, but there is certainly much more we can do as we head into our second decade. “We would love to have new members along to ride with us so please get in touch, especially if you find it daunting joining a new group. All our riders are approachable, welcoming and safety conscious, creating a relaxed atmosphere to cycle enjoyably in our beautiful countryside.”
For further information on adult or youth cycling events, or to contact the club, please see the www.tencycling.co.uk website.
