In January 2014, the seeds of what has become Castleknock Cycling Club were sown. In preparation for a fundraising cycle for Castleknock GAA Club, ‘Timthriall 2014’, some experienced cyclists organised training spins to help build momentum and get people accustomed to riding in groups. The fundraiser was a great success, raising much needed funds for the GAA club, as well as forging friendships between like-minded cyclists. It led to a dozen or so continuing to meet up for weekend spins in the months following the event.
Over 2014 and 2015, the group doubled in size and in the interest of ensuring safety and providing insurance for participants, Castleknock Cycling Club was established, and affiliated with Cycling Ireland. Our club was set up with the objective of running weekly leisure spins for members. Initially, we shied away from most organised sportives or any other event that would detract from our club. The Wicklow 200 was an early exception and continues to be a highlight for members. Nevertheless, we focused on getting the basics right for our club, ensuring that routes were organised in advance and creating a rota of spin leaders. In designing and sourcing a distinctive, high quality uniform for the club, we wanted to acknowledge our heritage and the strong overlap in membership the GAA club.
Centred in Castleknock, the Club has grown by word of mouth and as numbers have increased, our organisation has also evolved. We’re committed to ensuring that our club spins are well organised, challenging and enjoyable for all members. We have up to five groups on the road each week. Each group has a designated leader, drawn from experienced cyclists within the Club. The leader provides direction on the route, support for less experienced cyclists and ensures that nobody gets left behind! Our routes are planned to accommodate the breadth of cycling abilities in the club and we rotate between flat, rolling and hilly routes throughout the season.
With the growth in participation in cycling and the variety of events on offer, CCC livery is an increasingly common sight in Sportives around Leinster and further afield. In 2016, the club organised a weekend away, with 25 members making the trip to Ballycastle, Co. Antrim, for the Giant’s Causeway Coast Sportive. The success of the weekend led to 40 travelling to Glengarriff for the Rebel Tour in 2017. In September 2018, 52 of us returned to Ballycastle to tackle the Dark Hedges and Torr Head, amongst many other spectacular sights around the Causeway Coast.
Adding to our weekend activities, the Club has run midweek training spins throughout Summer 2018 and some of our group have become involved in racing. In the off-season, we run a programme of developmental training activities, ranging from spinning classes in local gyms to pilates, yoga and strength and conditioning programmes. In February, we’re launching our inaugural ‘Couch to 50K‘ programme, to help new members develop their confidence and familiarity with cycling in a group.
The Club is energetic and growing, hungry to keep challenging our members and contributing to the local community. If you’d like to find out more, please get in touch.