Meet The Riders: Ben

How did you get into cycling?

My parents are cycling fans so growing up we always watched the Grand tours and classics on TV. At 14 I joined Hillingdon Slipstreamers, a youth club based at the Hillingdon Cycle Circuit and it didn't take long for me to get the bug. Fast forward a few years and in my first year of university at Sheffield I was encouraged by some mates to race for the first time. I loved it and that summer I joined Waldy Wheelers.

What’s your favourite place to cycle ?

The Peak District- nothing comes close, easily some of the best roads the UK (and possibly Europe?) has to offer! With an endless list of climbs to explore, quiet country lanes to ride and exhilaratingly descents to smash, I'm very lucky as a student in Sheffield to have this right on my doorstep.

From the iconic climbs of Mam Nick, the Snake Pass and Monsal Head to the more unknown must rides like Abney, Strines and the Goyt Valley I couldn't recommend it enough- just make sure you fit a large enough cassette !

Have you got any cycling goals this year ?

The last couple years I've been lucky enough to race the National Hill Climb Championships, a great experience! Both times I've been agonisingly close to the top 100 so this year, especially given as the course is fairly local to Sheffield, I'd like to hopefully sneak in under that. And I guess some top 10s over the course of the year would (as always!) be appreciated.

What’s your go to ride with the Waldy Wheelers ?

Whilst I'm unfortunately not in London loads to join the Sunday morning rides, when I'm around nothing beats a W4 or RT smash, usually out to Windsor. A few thrilling hours of clinging onto the coattails of the Waldy Race Team powerhouses for dear life- proper type 2 fun!

What would you say to someone thinking of joining the Waldy Wheelers ?

Just do it, they're a lovely bunch! In all seriousness I joined Waldy having in 2022 having not ridden for a club since I was 16 at Slipstreamers so was slightly nervous however from the get go everyone was so welcoming and friendly. My first ever Waldy ride, a W3 out to Windsor, was great and from that moment I never looked back!

If you're considering racing, the RT side of the club is fantastic! Ever since joining my love for racing has grown unbelievably, initially starting off with just the occasional crit and progressing all the way up to weekly crits, hill climbs and time trials, something the support of the RT has massively helped with!

What do you do when you’re not cycling ?

I absolutely love hiking. I'm sure you're already bored of seeing the words Peak and District in this blog so I'll spare you the explanation as I'm sure it's obvious why! I've also, sparked initially by some peer pressure from my partner Emily to race the Sheffield Half Marathon, been getting really into running lately. Including, rather unsurprisingly , getting the racing bug here too. I'm studying history at university so when not outside I'm currently penned at my desk writing my dissertation...