Who's your cycling hero?

[Twenty Inch]

Mine is George the Gardener.

He cycles in to the office 3 times a week to do the plants on 6 floors - water, trim, propagate if anyone wants a cutting. He uses a Philips' 20" folder for that.

He cycles to his allotment several times a week, on a Raleigh Twenty, as it's a good load carrier. He'll often bring in produce to the office to share with people.

He takes long trips up Sustrans routes and canals, cycling out in the morning, having a pub lunch, then sometimes cycling, sometimes taking the train back.

He used to fly out to his daughter's family wherever they were stationed and go cycling around the country there - Germany, Cyprus, Netherlands. He had a Peugeot hybrid for that. However his son-in-law is now stationed in Washington so he's sold the Peugeot and donated the money to the "Help for Heroes" fund.

He's 87 years old! Hope I'm as fit and active as him when I'm that age.

 

[beanzontoast]

Where we live, there's this old chap in an overcoat who cycles from the next village to get to the supermarket 6 miles away. He has a really old black bike with a wooden box and various other bits tied to the frame with string. He goes really slowly and almost looks like he's not going to make it. Sometimes, it's like it would be quicker to walk. The journey must take him an hour each way. Occasionally, when the weather is really bad, we see him pushing the bike instead of riding it.

I have no idea who he is, what his life is like. My daughter thinks its a bit funny, and I tell her off. I agree it's incongruous - this chap amongst all the 4x4's and delivery lorries, just making his way at a snail's pace on his bike - but he's my cycling hero.

 

[Nicensleazy]

I'm not really into Heros so to speak, but one rider I have a great deal of respect for is Greg Lemond. Remember him ??

 

[mr Mag00]

beanz there was an old boy around our way too, i used to pick him and his bike up in the van when it was p!55ing down sadly no longer with us

 

[beanzontoast]

beanz there was an old boy around our way too, i used to pick him and his bike up in the van when it was p!55ing down sadly no longer with us

It's so easy to see past people instead of really noticing them. Can't help wondering a bit about my own life and what I'll be like when / if I make it to that age.

 

[papercorn2000]

I'm not really into Heros so to speak, but one rider I have a great deal of respect for is Greg Lemond. Remember him ??

No, what does he look like?

 

[yenrod]

M. Indurain

 

[wafflycat]

Let's see.. there's so many in a way, for different things.

MrWC, for getting me on a bike in adulthood (having last cycled as a child) and rekindling my love of cycling
WCMnr, for getting into cycling as a sport, using a bike to cycle to school & back especially when using a *real* bike was apparently 'uncool' according to many a local 'yoof'
Simon Richardson & Adam Smith, two disabled cyclists I know who are not only brilliant cyclists (Simon at Olympic level) but great guys and great fun, as are their respective families and encouraging of others.
Keith Lawton & his wife of the CTT who put so much into that arm of the sport every year, without whom the sport would be significantly lessened.
Charlotte Barnes an ex-smoker who got into cycling and has now tone the Paris-Brest-Paris.
George & his wife Mieke who live in the next village to me. Both are well into retirement, both have major health problems and both keep cycling as much as they can.
Dave Green (RAF CC) who gave WCMnr much encouragement when he was time trialling, who also won the Race Across America in the four-man team section with RAF CC
Chris (Hoppo) Hopkinson the first Brit to complete the solo RAAM
Ann Woolridge first female Brit to qualify to ride RAAM
Albert Saunders (deceased) who did so much to promote cycling in Norfolk during his lifetime
My Dad for buying me my first bike as a child (Triang) as I loved being out on my bike.
Daniel Cadden who stood up for the rights of cyclists on road, despite being bullied by the authorities and who, at high personal cost of stress & worry, saw it through to two court cases and did us all a huge favour that most of us will never be aware of.

There's more, but they'll do for a start.

 

[4F]

The great

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddy_Merckx

 

[BigonaBianchi]

My Dad

 

[Tetedelacourse]

G. Obree

M. Beaumont

 

[ChrisKH]

My Dad

Wow. Chip off the old block there.

Mine too. Pity I have no pictures.

Got lots of my father-in-law with his Luxembourg cycling club and pre-race start pictures which are great. I must post these up.

 

[mr_hippo]

In my mid 30's, I took up cycling again after a break of many years; all I wanted to do was a few miles every week but the cycling bug bit me... My first big ride was a 70 mile run organised by Liverpool's Radio City. I could do 70 miles but I had 'forgot' the 15 miles to the start and the 15 miles home again!
At a stop, just outside Southport, I was talking to a chap called Alan Booth when someone said that they had a broken spoke in the back wheel. Without batting an eyelid, Alan looked at the wheel, went into his cavernous saddle bag and pulled out the right size spoke; the broken spoke was on the drive side, without removing the block, he somehow threaded the spoke throught and trued the wheel. He invited me to join his club (Runcorn CTC).
I went on my first club run the following week to the Sunspot cafe (I think it was just outside Corwen). I managed to keep up but was exhausted and Alan offered me some good advice - "Get a stout pair of walking boots and join the Ramblers!"
Over time, Alan became a good friend and mentor. His encyclopaedic knowledge of cycles and cycling was about as extensive as Sheldon Brown's. He knew every cafe and country lane within a 100 mile radius and was very well liked and respected by the cycling community.
Sadly Alan died 2 years ago after a short illness.

 

[MarcBC]

Tony Doyle and Alf Whiteway.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Wow. Chip off the old block there.

Mine too. Pity I have no pictures.

Got lots of my father-in-law with his Luxembourg cycling club and pre-race start pictures which are great. I must post these up.

yeah he used to ride a lot as a teenager, lots of long distance road runs and also cycle speedway which was pretty big back then. I think he road a Claud Butler. I know he had a nasty fall going down Handcross hill on the A23 at 50mph He also told be that as a kid some lads saw him riding an old bike and aske dhim to join their club...they even gave him a 'proper' bike to ride...apparently it turned out to be some big race team or something and he got to ride in the team a bit. Lot's of the time he was on fixed bikes...might explain some of th ehip problems today...