Say hello to Indy

Indy joined the Club in 2018 and was on the Committee for many year planning our Club Ride. On top of many achievements since joining us, his longest ride was cycling the Way of the Roses in a Day (over 170 miles!)

Indy’s story:

I first started riding in September 2015, when my wife and I moved to York.  The best way for me to get to work was on a bike, and York is such a great city for cycling – but before that, I'd never ridden before - it was a steep learning curve!

When we moved to York I really didn’t know anyone – I joined the Rouleurs because I wanted to meet new people and make friends. We had seen the Rouleurs jersey out on the road on a Sunday morning, and they had a friendly, social vibe that I loved!

On my first ride I (stupidly) rode with the fast group…. Rookie error! They really pushed the pace on the way home and I thought I might have overestimated my abilities, but I managed to hang on. I was really glad of the “no drop” policy – it meant I knew I’d never be left behind. Rouleurs Ride Together.

I met one of my best friends because we both did our first Rouleurs ride on the same day. We bonded over being newbies to the Club and our friendship hasn’t looked back since. It’s also been really nice to visit new places on the bike, and take on new challenges I could never have done on my own. 

In 2018, before I joined the Rouleurs, I had surgery to remove some of my small intestine. I wasn’t allowed to cycle for two months following this, and getting back on the back for the first time just felt incredible.

I have Crohn's disease and so struggle with my health a lot, and in the run up to cycling the Way of the Roses in a day with the Club I was never fully confident I would actually be able to do it. But I signed up for some longer group rides to train, and these went better than I expected. I realised that taking it steady and eating enough made it actually easier than I had thought- who would have guessed! 

If you’re thinking about joining the Club – JUST COME ALONG. It’s easy to worry or feel you need to have a certain level of fitness or knowledge, but the best way to get those things is to ride with others in a group. It’s really friendly and you’ll do more than you ever thought you could!