Glenn Miller took up cycling again after a long break from riding his bike. He says the West Lothian Cycle Circuit would be the perfect place for folk to get their confidence back and pick up the skills necessary to ride on the road.
“Like most men of my age I had a bike in the garage and thought I could dust it down and use it for short journeys around Linlithgow.
But I struggled to find like minded cyclists at my standard.
I was kindly asked by a group of school mums, who went cycling on a Wednesday, to join them. It took me a good few months to build up my confidence and cycling skills to keep up with them.
The West Lothian Cycle Circuit would be a great asset for us middle aged cyclists who want to get back on the bike. It would be a safe place to gain confidence and improve cycling technique.
Cycling is such a social activity, so having a centre like this would be good for meeting people of a similar ‘back to cycling’ attitude.
I know from personal experience the hardest thing about getting back on the bike is meeting like minded people and having the confidence to get out. I’m sure the cycle circuit would be an ideal hub for all of these.”
Cyclists spend a small fortune on nutrition to keep them fuelled on a ride. But you don’t need to buy gels and bars with our quick and easy recipe for ‘Energy rolls’
All you need is white bread and your favourite filling for an easy-to-digest snack that’ll keep the ‘bonk’ at bay.
Local club runner Gerry McArdle explains why the West Lothian Cycle Circuit will be a boost for runners and joggers of all levels.
Having a well-lit, even surface to train on is an attractive proposition for runners. This is especially true during the winter months when we train on the streets: the combination of wet leaves, variable lighting, ‘street furniture’ and tricky kerbstones can lead to trips and falls.
The idea of a safe environment, away from cars, is very appealing.
We also value a training venue that allows repeated efforts over an accurately measured flat distance (our local athletes currently travel to Grangemouth stadium in order to find this).
It’s quite possible that our runners will prefer a facility closer to home that offers this type of environment.
A venue like this will encourage the social side of running, providing a space to gather, meet and chat during a training session.
Falkirk Junior Bike Club (FJBC) have donated £1000 to our fundraising campaign to build a traffic free, 1km, tarmac cycle circuit in the Central Belt.FJBC are the 6th Scottish cycling club to make a financial contribution to the fundraising campaign.
The community fundraising total now stands at £73,088, with a grand total of £520,088 raised so far.
Mark Drackford, chair of FJBC said “The West Lothian Cycle Circuit is a fantastic and exciting facility which will have a huge impact on local clubs and riders”.
“Providing a regular opportunity for our riders to develop their road cycling skills in a safe environment has long been an aspiration of the club, and therefore we are keen to demonstrate our support for the Circuit, through a donation of £1000.”
The cheque was presented to Linlithgow Community Development Trust (LCDT) board member, Chris Horne by Mark at West Lothian Clarion Cycling Club’s Santa Cyclo Cross.
Riders from Falkirk and the Clarion joined together for a fun event at Linlithgow Xcite where the cycle circuit will be built.
Fraser Falconer, chair of LCDT said “We are delighted and grateful for the donation from Falkirk Junior Bike club. We believe that the Cycle Circuit in Linlithgow will be a facility for all of the Forth Valley area and the support is very encouraging.”
LCDT who are leading the project to deliver the circuit are keen to hear from other Scottish cycling club’s who would like to find out how they can help support the campaign for this much needed facility.
Falkirk Junior Bike Club have joined a growing group of club’s who have made a donation: West Lothian Clarion, Edinburgh Road Club, Kinross Cycling Club, Livingston Cycling Club, National Clarion Cycling Club and Falkirk Bike Club (Tom Anderson Fund)
Handcycles help disabled people find freedom, Ken Talbot, a cycle circuit volunteer, explains why our project will boost all ability cycling.
Handcycling – Many people who try handcycling say it’s freedom. As I like to say: For a disabled person; you can go further, faster, and easier than any other means.
But what is handcycling? It’s simply a variation on cycling that allows someone with a lower limb impairment to still cycle.
Don’t have full use of your legs? Then why miss out on cycling?
Handcycling is suitable for people with a diverse range of disabilities including; amputees, persons with spinal injuries, chronic pain, brain injuries and neurological conditions, arthritis, balance impairment, and more.
Handcycles typically utilise a variety of recumbent riding styles though there are kneeling styles as well, so a wide range of disabilities can be accommodated. Bikes can be equipped for fairly simple disabilities all the way up to teta/ quadriplegics.
Much like their upright counterparts, handcycles are made for both road riding, racing, touring, and mountain biking and there are electric assist options as well. No matter what you’re interest or background in cycling, there’s probably a handcycling option for you.
So what’s it like to ride a handcycle? In this writer’s opinion: AMAZING!
Like many, the first time I rode a handcycle I found it was freedom; I was able to do so much more than I’d been able to do before and with much less effort; and this was after about seven years of a sedentary lifestyle after my accident. As my disability has progressed, that sense of freedom has become even more prominent as well.
In the many years that I’ve been coaching, of all the people I’ve introduced to handcycling, I’ve never had a person come of a bike who hasn’t had a huge smile on their face and said they really enjoyed it. Personally, I’ve always loved cycling from the days I rode uprights, and even more so as a handcyclist because of the freedom that it brings.
Yes, handcycling can be challenging at times, as you’re using much smaller muscles to do the same work that our upright counterparts are doing, but this just means that the rewards are bigger. Just as handcycling can be challenging, it’s also quite easy and enjoyable.
As most handcycles are low to the ground, your sense of speed is quite high so you feel like you’re doing more than you are. The recumbent position makes the bikes very aerodynamic which balances out the reduction in power available.
The bikes are equipped with mountain bike drivetrains with quite low gears so climbing hills can be easier than expected. And cruising can be incredibly enjoyable as well the comfortable recumbent position and the stability that a trike provides.
The best part though is that there is an ever going population of handcyclists out there and riding opportunities are increasing day by day.
The cycle circuit: a key asset
A cycle circuit such as the West Lothian Cycle Circuit currently under development can be a key asset in getting people involved in handcycling. By providing a flat, traffic-free riding area new handcyclists can be afforded a safe and comfortable place to learn how to ride.
Without the immediacy of traffic, new riders can develop the strength and skills needed to then take their riding further afield. For some disabled individuals, handcycling will be the first time they’ve ever been on a bike and there will be a lot to learn, and for others they will be learning a whole new way to ride. Combined with the complications that many disabilities bring, a traffic-free circuit allows riders to focus on success over all other things, and progress, step-wise, into more complicated riding environments.
Beyond the beginnings, the West Lothian Cycle Circuit can provide a central location for many people to gather from a wider area to ride and socialise, possibly compete in racing events, and even for some this will be their sole riding environment if they’re not comfortable or able to ride on the roads.
Ultimately, the combination of handcycling and the West Lothian Cycle Circuit is a great way to start, or get back into cycling for anyone with a lower limb impairment. And, the great thing about handcycling is that: Whether you’ve never had “proper” use of your legs, or whether you’ve had a mid-life event causing that, all the fun, fitness, and friendship that comes with cycling can still be had by you, just in a different way.
West Lothian Cycle Circuit 