Ken is a competitive road cyclist and would encourage anyone to join DCC due to the fantastic resources & ability to learn from other riders.
Ken got into cycling when he was 37, never having been massively sporty. He had enjoyed kart racing but left because it became too expensive - someone told him cycling would be much less expensive haha! He had played some squash and did yoga for a few years beforehand, both stood him in good stead.
Ken joined DCC simply because it was his local club. Having ridden around local roads on his own for a while he saw some group rides and reckoned he wanted to take part. Mark Young was the first rider he got to know and he encouraged him to come along.
Ken's first club run was a Sunday Run and was impressed by how strong the guys riding on the front were, how riders were able to make taking out and replacing their drinks bottles look so easy oh and some crazy wee guy riding up the outside of the entire group whilst pulling a wheelie and waving to the riders, you can probably guess who that was! (For anyone one that doesn't it's Craig Hardie).
Ken was inspired to get into cycling after karts by watching Lance ride the Tour on telly and wanted to get into road racing, it looked fast and a bit dangerous and I liked that. The advice was to join a club because you will learn from other experienced riders.
Ken has tried all types of cycling but is a roadie really, never took to mtb, did a season of CX once but max efforts for an hour in the freezing cold mud didn’t grab him. So he mixes road racing with TT’s and the odd sportive. Having said that he enjoys the training too, whether it is solo or group rides or with friends.
The DCC club events are great for learning from other riders, there is so much experience in the club. The new Fife Cycle Park and the The Hub are fantastic resources and every rider can learn so much from group and coaching sessions.
Ken rides 6 days a week and around 10 hrs a week and is a competitive cyclist. He enjoys the cut and thrust of road racing and the discipline and mental toughness of time trials. He commented that in all cycling the friendship and camaraderie is also paramount whereby you develop a real bond with fellow riders as you take on the course, the mountain and the rivals.
Ken's current biggest achievement is setting personal bests in all of his time trial distances in 2019, which surprised him given his advanced years (his words). He admits he has never been good enough to win any bike races but always maintains hard work and determination will get you a long way to the front
Non Cycling related interesting fact:
The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it :-)