Inverness CC

Trevor Ward hits the Highlands with a club that puts friendship first

The experiences of Alan Horsburgh and Sally Clarkson neatly sum up the two extremes of life as a member of Inverness Cycle Club.

Horsburgh has been racing for the last four years, but cannot break through to third-category status. “There just aren’t enough races in this part of the world, so you are always up against second-cat guys in the same race,” he tells me. “Some riders will go down to races in northern England to get their points. I still love it though.”

Clarkson, meanwhile, is a relative newbie to the sport and remembers the two biggest hurdles she faced before becoming a fully-fledged roadie.

“One was wearing Lycra for the first time,” she laughs. “The other was challenging the perception that only skinny girls can ride bikes. Look at me — and I’ve lost weight!”

Clarkson is one of several female riders out today, all of them graduates of the club’s Monday-night development rides, which regularly attract around 30 riders.

“They used to be called beginners’ rides, but there is much more to them than that,” says Kaye Gillespie as she suddenly ups the speed when taking her turn at the front of the group. “It took a lot for me to pluck up the courage to join them for that first ride. I was scared that they’d either drop me or that I’d hold them up. I turned up wearing trainers and they couldn’t have been more welcoming and encouraging.”