‘The gravel scene in our club is the common ground for a lot of riders now’: How becoming truly multi-disciplinary has helped one Scottish cycling club thrive in 2024

by December 30, 2024

written by December 30, 2024

This feature originally appeared in Cycling Weekly magazine on 5th December 2024. Subscribe now and never miss an issue.

If Peebles Cycling Club’s kit makes you nostalgic for the early 2000s, you’re not alone. The white, black and red getup bears a striking resemblance to the Team CSC gear that Fränk Schleck wore to stage-winning glory in the Tour de France. According to club chairman Garth Pearson, the resemblance, though often remarked upon, was not deliberate – Peebles CC’s jersey was designed to represent community and inclusion, two pillars of the modern club’s identity.

According to Pearson, the club’s reluctance to focus solely on one discipline has helped attract ever more members. “We are unique in the [Tweed] valley, in that we are genuinely the only multi-disciplinary cycling club in the area,” he explains. “We are the only club where you can come and go for a road ride, gravel ride, have a track day and go mountain biking as well – we offer all of that to the community.”

“I think our members see gravel as a real opportunity to get out and ride over the winter months in a much safer environment,” says Pearson. “Local folk have just migrated to gravel of late. The variety is really immense; we have a wealth of good routes available.” There is no longer a divide between on- and off-road riders, he adds. “The gravel scene in our club has really helped, as that’s the common ground for a lot of riders now. It has really helped bring the club together.”

Pearson can’t help but show his sense of pride in the club as he explains that, on top of the CW nomination, Peebles have also received word that they’re in the running for Club of the Year at Scottish Cycling’s annual awards. The biggest prize, though, is earning a place at the heart of the local cycling community while continuing to grow and thrive – thanks to the work of Pearson, his colleagues and friends.

Source link

‘The gravel scene in our club is the common ground for a lot of riders now’: How becoming truly multi-disciplinary has helped one Scottish cycling club thrive in 2024

AUS vs IND 2024/25, Australia vs India 4th Test, Day 5, Melbourne Match Report, December 26 – 30, 2024

Herro’s late heroics lift Heat over Rockets in tense finish

You may also like

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply