Community Bike Ride Leaders Helping Others to Discover the Joys of Cycling
Cycling Ireland are looking forward to an exciting era of Community Bike Rides in partnership with Link My Ride, with weekly rides for cyclists of all ages and abilities taking place around Ireland.
And as we head into the late spring and summer months, we’re shining a light on the stories of some of Community Bike Rides’ Ride Leaders – who organise and lead enjoyable and accessible rides for participants.
We explore why our Ride Leaders got involved in Community Bike Rides, why they love leading cycling groups and the advantages of participating in cycling no matter your ability level or age.
We’re always on the lookout for people interested in joining our fantastic pool of Ride Leaders, more information on how you can become a Ride Leader is available here.
To Inspire Others
Lorraine Pardy from East Galway has been a ride leader for eight years and has helped get people on their bikes – running a ‘Let’s Get Active’ group that has inspired many to gain the confidence to cycle.
“I saw the advert and knew I wanted to get more people involved, (cycling is) easy on the joints. The craic is ninety. The chats, the social aspect. (You can) Connect with so many people."
“(I try to) Lead by example, everyone knows I love making people feel included, making them feel better, support the group, let the group know I can listen. Inspire them to feel the confidence to cycle. Walk the walk, people will follow.”
Give Back To A Sport That Gives So Much
Jeff Aiken leads rides on a weekly basis around Co. Down after getting involved to give something back to the sport of cycling.
Jeff has enjoyed seeing his rides’ participants develop their cycling skills and meeting fellow cyclists who share his same passion for the sport.
“I got involved with Cycling Ireland (Community Bike Rides) as I wanted to give something back to a sport which has given me much enjoyment. I also wanted to help people enjoy leisure cycling in groups and have personally enjoyed meeting fellow cyclists enjoying our shared love of cycling.
“I enjoy seeing my participants enjoy the company of others, watching participants develop their cycling skills and confidence on the road. Additionally, I love the chat and craic at our coffee stop. It's safe to say many of my regular participants are now firm friends."
“One of my most memorable moments happened recently when one of my long-term regular participants enrolled and became a CI Accredited Ride Leader. They would never have believed they had the cycling confidence to do this but this has been nurtured and developed on our weekly runs together and I like to think in some small way I helped with this.”
Meeting Like Minded Cyclists
Joan Potts took on ride leader training to help give her confidence to ride in a group, she now leads a regular group and is enjoying meeting like-minded people.
“The biggest achievement for me is to see people start off with zero miles and build up the miles along with their confidence. Some riders say they would never cycle on the road but in a group, it gives them confidence and motivation to keep going."
“To me Community Bike Rides bring like-minded people together as they have a common interest. My ladies believe it is therapy for them where they can cycle and talk at the same time and then have coffee/tea breakfast or lunch whenever they finish. They look forward to getting out into the countryside and letting go of all the stress.”
Helping Others Discover The Joy Of Cycling
Charlie Parsons leads rides around Kilkenny City, and hopes that his rides can inspire others to get active, increase their confidence on the road and help them discover the many joys of cycling.
“I have a role to play in protecting our environment and that means getting more people cycling for a better mode of transportation to get where they're going. My focus is on supporting and encouraging people to discover the joy of cycling. All my routes are designed for people who are beginners/ new to cycling or those returning to cycling.
“As my role as a Cycling Ireland Community Bike Ride Leader, I hope to inspire more people to cycle by organising leisurely spins on Link My Ride and ‘Get Back on your Bike’ programmes in conjunction with Kilkenny County Council. I share my adventures on social media platforms.”
Community Bike Rides Sister Cycles
Ride Leaders have the option to create and organise women-only rides on the LinkMyRide App under the "CBR Sister Cycle" tag line.
This option will also be promoted by Cycling Ireland's Women In Sport initiative in the coming weeks to encourage women to join social group rides with other women in their community.
More information on Link My Ride - Community Bike Rides can be found here.