Saddle up for National Bike Week
WHEN Maedbh McMahon, and her friend Fia go out on their bikes, people will often stop and stare, while some even take pictures.
That’s because the talented youngsters are causally chatting — while riding their unicycles, circus-style.
Maedhb, 11, who started at about the age of seven, can do everything on her eccentric bike, from cycling backwards to playing ball, all the while maintain that all-important balance. But then, she was always an athletic kid, says Mum Nikki: “You’d find her hanging off the washing line and doing aerial twirls with the washing line when she was just five or six! She has a lot of ability with her body and is very energetic,” she observes.
Maedhbh, from Knocknacarra, Co Galway who now owns her own unicycle, says she loves the challenge. “Not many people do it. It’s very hard in the beginning; it’s about getting the balance right.
It can be hard at times she admits: “On an ordinary bike the saddle is attached, but on a unicycle the saddle can move — I’ve fallen off quite a few times!”
Maedhbh and her friend Fia, 12, regularly attend the Galway Community Circus. The duo will display their unusual skill on RTE’s Nationwide programme on June 16 and, later on, on the Ray D’Arcy Today FM radio show.
Both girls have also learned other circus-ring skills such as stilt-walking and aerial trapeze, but particularly enjoy uni-cycling — which Fia’s been doing since about the age of eight: “It’s great fun and very different; not many people do it. Once you know how it’s pretty easy. It’s nice cycling around with your friend and chatting!”
He may be only eight but already Corey Waller has his sights set on the Olympics. Cycling is everything to the youngster from Kill, Co Kildare, who got his first bike at the age of two and his first BMX bike at four and has been pedalling his way to stardom ever since. In 2013 he became the Irish National BMX champ for the second time and was ranked eighth in the British BMX series.
Corey spends a lot of time travelling between Ireland and the UK with his Dad, attending competitions and he’s already aiming for Olympic stardom (BMX Racing was introduced in 2008): “BMX bikes are really fun; they’re fast and you can go up ramps on them. I like racing; it’s fun. You get to see new tracks and some are big and some are small.
“You have to be really fast to win trophies, and if you have lots of trophies it means you’re really fast! I’d like to be a BMX coach someday. I’d also like to cycle in the Olympics when I’m older and win a gold medal.”
The Milner family from Dublin’s Rialto are big biking enthusiasts. Music teacher and mother-of-three Hilda Milner has been cycling to work for years whilst chaperoning her three boys, Robert, 13, Andrew, 10 and Matthew 6, who also cycle to school.
Hilda works at the Royal Irish Academy on Westland Row, about three miles away – and, over the past few years, her three boys, Robert, 13, Andrew, 10, and Matthew, 6, have cycled with her on their way to school.
These days Robert is in secondary school — too far to cycle — but the other two are still committed cyclists, she says: “Robert started cycling to school when he was five. At the time he would have been one of the very few kids cycling to school but now, under the Green Flag programme, the school is encouraging more children to cycle — it’s only a 10 minute cycle to school.
“We cycle to school about three times a week and it’s great freedom,” she says, adding that her 45-minute car journey to work takes just 15 minutes on a bike!”
The boys have never had an accident while cycling she says, but the family carefully plan the routes they take, avoiding narrow roads with a lot of buses.
Safe cycling is paramount, says Hilda: “Just because the boys might be in a cycle lane does not mean they’re safe — I have drummed that into them, along with the fact that you have to presume that cars don’t see you and you must always catch the driver’s eye before you do anything.”
Cycling is once again increasing in popularity — latest census figures show an increase of 10% in people commuting by bike — from 36,306 to 39,803 between 2006 and 2011.
National Bike Week (June 14-22) is a celebration of all that’s great about bikes and cycling.
Founded in 2009 with 100 activities, it now attracts 100,000 people of all ages and backgrounds in 450 events all over the country.
Activities range from free bike checks and fun cycles to lunchtime city rides, heritage cycles, electric bike races, school cycling events, bike festivals and road races — and that’s just for starters.
Coordinated and funded by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the events are organised by local authorities and local sports partnerships, often in collaboration with local cycling clubs, community groups, charities and schools.
Visit www.bikeweek.ie
* The Tour de Romance takes place on June 20 at 7pm for singles looking to mingle. Event organiser Sarah Danaher says the idea is to promote the social side of cycling. “I know how hard it is to really connect with people on a normal night out, especially when you are single,” she says, adding that the event will include a cycle hunt for “love tokens” (that can be exchanged for prizes), Ringo Music Bingo and a movie. The venue is the Olde Bakery Market on the corner of York Street and Wellington Road-.
More information at http://www.bikeweek.ie/events/cork/cycling-singles-and-mingles-night
* Phoenix Park Bike Festival — June 14-22. Week-long cycle festival with guides cycle tours of the park, bike games and national cargo bike championships.
* Dublin City lunchtime cycle — June 18. The biggest of more than 20 city and town centre lunchtime cycles being held on Cycle to Work Day on June 18. Music and food at the finish.
Galway:
* Crio Cycle Sunday 15th — more than 1,000 cyclists will take part in a cycle along the Corrib ending in the city centre.
* Operation Transportation June 14-22 : six non-cyclists will take to the saddle for at least 10 minutes each day and keep a blog of their experiences.
* Bike week launches at a special Bike Village in Limerick city centre on June 14 and the week will finish up with a Limerick City Fancy Dress Bike Parade on Sunday, June 22, finishing with a picnic at King John’s Castle.
Women on Wheels (WOW) cycle of the An Post Tour de Burren Route. June 21 – a group of 25 female novice cyclist will cycle the 50km Tour de Burren route.
* Teens in the Wild Wednesday 18th: Mountain Biking for teenagers. 50 teenagers will take to the Ballyhoura Trails for an adrenalin-filled day of mountain biking.
Pedal for your supper, Saturday 21 — a cycle between Ennistymon, Lahinch and Liscannor with 10% discount in restaurants and cafes along the route.
* Dundalk cycling fun day Sunday 15 Slow bike races, High Nelly bike races and a tour of Dundalk’s new cycle lanes are among the many events taking place in and around St Helena’s Park.
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