Iain Cochrane is a road cyclist from Dunfermline & enjoys the occasional cycle tour
Iain rediscovered cycling after spending his early working life travelling overseas, before settling in Dunfermline. In a bid to get fitter, he later set himself a target to cycle across Ireland to visit family members in Donegal. This was his first multi-day ride, covering 300 miles over 6 days of cycling for the return journey and was the point at which he really caught the cycling bug. He still tries to do a 3-4 day road trip each year.
Iain was introduced to road cycling by a work colleague and shortly after buying his first road bike, felt ready to join a cycling club. At the time, the DCC mid-week training rides met at the crematorium for laps around Duloch. Coming home from work one evening, Iain stopped at the crematorium and asked if he could join them at the next session. It took quite a few weeks before he managed to hang on for the full five laps without being dropped!
“I wear the club kit whenever I cycle with the club. It provides a sense of belonging to the club and the colour ensures that you will be seen by other road users! We are instantly recognized by other clubs we meet on the road.”
He enjoys the social aspect of road cycling and occasional cycle tour with a light back pack and credit card (no camping!). During the winter months, Iain has attended the DCC coaching sessions at the Fife Cycle Park with his son Craig and is hoping to encourage his younger daughter Kirsty to come along once the sessions restart. These are run by club coaches Neil and Kevin on Tuesday nights to improve cycling skills and generally ride in a safer environment where you can try different skills and riding styles. “The track surface is fantastic and makes a change from the local roads. I’d recommend everyone to give it a go.”
“I try and get out for a couple of mid-week evening rides and a weekend ride each week. Almost all of this is on the road, with the occasional FCP sessions and, when the weather is just too grim, I’ll go on the rollers for a spin. Typically, I ride around 4-5000 miles each year.”
Iain’s list of cycling achievements includes several tours across Ireland, motivating his son Craig to join the club and supporting him on his first century, and finally, not getting dropped on the 08:30 Saturday Bun Run!
Non Cycling related interesting fact:
I worked overseas in the Far East, the Middle East and Portugal for a total of eight years. Since I returned 18 years ago, I’ve still not got used to the Scottish weather!