Introducing...
Every month, we introduce some of the Kingston Wheelers and Emily Bagnall is here for October 2010. She's been cycling for some time and joined the club just over a year ago, in which time she's started racing and ridden across the cobbled climbs of Belgium. Most intriguingly, she cites Keith Griffin as an inspiration.
Name: Emily Bagnall
Age: 32
Any significant others? Tim
Why did you join Kingston Wheelers? Such a friendly bunch with so much to get involved with. I was very nervous on my first ride and Chris took me under his wing...quite a stunt whilst also cycling bicycles...
When did you join the club? Summer 2009.
What made you start cycling? I've always cycled since a nipper, but when I started riding a road bike though Richmond Park a few years ago I noticed the club tops and started wondering if I could join a club and get involved in some competitions/events, Kingston Wheelers was the most welcoming and the Sunday club rides are excellent.
What bike do you ride? I have a Dave Marsh steel road bike, a Trek Madone road bike, a Pinnacle Coldharbour hardtail MTB and a Raleigh I saved from the tip, spay painted black and smartened up to have a touch of the Pashley about it.
Give us a brief cycling background: As a child there were a couple of second hand bike floating around the back garden for myself and my sister, one of them had no inner tubes and would puncture when you looked at it. The other was a strange looking contraption, like a very small postman's bike, red and white, which I used happily until one day I tried to jump it and bent the wheel. No idea why we didn't just replace the wheel, but instead my parents got me a brand new bike for the first time a... BMX!
When I met Tim he helped me put together my first road bike on a tiny budget, funnily enough a a second hand steel frame off ebay is now very popular and will set you back a lot more.
What was your best performance or ride?I think it would be my third place at Coalville race, part of the Team Series. I rode off the front and no one chased helped by Maryka and Leona at the front keeping it quiet, then Anna Fisher (Max Gear) and Maryka made the jump to me and we rode it all the way to the end. Leona came in fourth, and Mathilde in 11, so with such a good result we (women's Surrey League team) moved up a position and finished in third for the 2010 Team Series.
I also enjoyed this years club hill climb, a real cyclist experience. Just before I set off I asked Rob Lesley, on his way down, for some advice, he confided quietly like a soothsayer 'just don't give it your all, don't give it 100%, not till the end' I did just that and after cow bell corner had enough left to push all the way to the line, which seemed to have walking wounded in every direction.
Oh and just finishing Flanders!
What was your worst day on the bike? The bin bag day, a Sunday ride in November that caught me out by raining, I had only windproof gear on and so was soaking wet with a freezing cold layer on me. I was so cold the lady at the tea van gave me a bin bag to put on, I didn't even ask, she just noticed I looked blue! For the next too months I had an ongoing cold and cobwebby feeling on my hands.
That was the worst day 'on the bike', the worse 'off the bike' would be due to ice leaving me with a nice black eye and a redirected journey from work to casualty!
Oh and Flanders!
Who is your favourite pro or inspiration? All other Kingston Wheelers, true pro's! And Keith Griffin's undying love for cobbles and Flanders!
What is your favourite bike food? Bananas and flapjack.
Where is your favourite cycling location? Anywhere with quiet roads and country scenery and in some ways Richmond Park, far too busy at the weekends, but midweek a brill place to have on your doorstep, to get some extra decent miles in.
Most likely to say: "I really need to clean my bike..."
Least likely to say: "Let's go cycle in some icy conditions! OR Lets go do Hell of the North, I'm sure it would be just as easy as Flanders!"