“Getting to the start line is the hardest part” was one of the most memorable lines from an interview we did back in February with Alison and Taylor who oversee the Ultra Distance Scholarship (UDS). Their vision for the 2022 UDS scholars was for them to take part in the 2022 GBDuro, a 2000km off-road bikepacking event which traverses the length of the UK. It’s arguably the most challenging of all of the multi-day bikepacking events currently on offer in the UK, so having this as the goal for the UDS scholars was a huge challenge. With less than two weeks to go before GBDuro rolls away from the start line, we chatted with the 2022 scholars to see how everything is going.
Where did it all start?
We asked the UDS scholars to go back in time and tell us how they first got into riding. “I got into riding in my early 20s, initially just with a cheap commuter bike” said Zara “But I had big aspirations – I wanted to one day ride around the world” she continued. “I got into cycling when I was at Uni” said Aandy “I bought a bike, but it got nicked almost straight away, so I bought another, a Kona Cindercone MTB and I was hooked”. Carla’s journey into cycling didn’t have the easiest of starts “Not long after I first got into cycling, I went on holiday in the Lake District and took my road bike. I loved riding, but I didn’t like riding in traffic, so I used to get up super early and go riding. I did the same route each time and I was really worried about mechanical problems.”
Serendipity
“I was waiting outside MacDonalds with my bike. It was gone midnight and my bike was covered with bikepacking luggage. I got chatting with a couple of customers who thought I was a Deliveroo rider and asked how my night was going. I told them that I was actually on my way home after a failed first attempt at the Dunwich Dynamo ride. I was feeling pretty dejected, but one of the people I was chatting to later found me on Instagram and messaged me with a link to the Ultra Distance Scholarship and suggested that I should apply”
Serendipity seems to play a pretty big role in the world of gravel and adventure riding and so Zara’s story didn’t sound all that surprising, but it was a common thread in the stories of the three scholars.
“I was planning to go bike touring in Portugal, but then Covid19 arrived and all the borders were closed, so I decided to try a solo ride around the UK instead” said Aandy “In total I rode 3500kms over 50 days of cycling and through the power of social media after my trip, some fellow cyclists recommended I sign up for the UDS. I was shortlisted but unsuccessful in year one and then applied again, at the very last minute, in year two and this time I was selected”
“I really love nature, the outdoors and spending time in the mountains, so I guess my progression into gravel riding was a logical one” said Carla. Of the three 2022 scholars she has the least off-road riding experience “I only started riding off-road once I was awarded the scholarship place” she told us “I started off riding at MTB trail centres back in February and by July I was riding in the Rapha Pennine Rally, so I’ve had to learn pretty fast” she continued.
The three scholars have varied backgrounds, but also many factors in common – perhaps the biggest (and least surprising?) was that all three were super nervous about what they were taking on, but that the training and mentorship that was offered to them through the UDS has made a massive difference to their confidence, skills and abilities. “The whole process has been amazing” said Aandy “and it’s been an honour and a privilege to take part”. “The UDS has opened up the world of cycling to me” Zara told us “It seemed like a pretty intimidating place before and I was actually pretty scared to get involved, but Alison and Taylor have been so encouraging and supportive, that they’ve put my mind at rest and have helped me build my self-confidence”. “I applied for the UDS with very little confidence in myself and my cycling abilities and it took a lot of encouragement to even consider myself worthy of applying." confirmed Carla. "I took it day by day and belonging has really helped to boost my self-confidence”
Progression
Progressing from being relative newcomers to cycling to being confident enough in their physical and mental abilities to take part in an event as challenging as the GBDuro is an incredible achievement. We asked the three scholars what the training involved and what they learned from it. “Alison has been incredibly encouraging and supportive and has tailored a training plan specifically for me ” Zara told us “I don’t have any kind of background with gym sessions and found them stressful and mentally difficult, so Alison changed the emphasis to make them more yoga-driven, which was amazing. But as well as the physical training, the mentorship aspect has been really important too” she continued “I’ve been working with Natt Will, an experienced ultra-distance cyclist. We have monthly zoom calls, plus we use WhatsApp loads too. He said that no question is too silly! I’ve also had help from Vera and Anisa [the other mentors] too. Natt and I are planning to meet up for some face-to-face rides too, which will be amazing.”
“I’ve not done any competitive cycling before” Aandy told us “Previously I wasn’t at all interested in metrics, but now I’m totally hooked! The structured nature of the training has been really useful, although sometimes it’s been a struggle to fit in with the rest of my life and I’ve had to do some juggling of priorities. Looking back and seeing how I’ve progressed over the course of the training has been amazing and it’s made me realise than anything is possible – you just need to push yourself a bit”
“The biggest challenge that I’ve taken on during the training has been the Rapha Pennine Rally” Carla told us “I had some real low points, including some panic attacks, but with a combination of some self-analysis from my background as a psychologist, some 80s pop music and a bag of sweets, I got through them. I initially doubted my ability to finish, but getting to the end in Manchester really boosted my confidence”
The big one
GBDuro starts on August 13th so we asked the scholars how their preparation was going and how they were feeling. “I used the Pennine Rally as a good test of my kit, my packing skills, riding long & hard consecutive days, plus sections of the GBDuro route cover the same trails as the Pennine Rally, so it was useful from that perspective too. “ Zara told us “It’s really helped with my confidence. Riding some of the same trails that we’ll be using in GBDuro (even if we will be riding them in the other direction) has made it less scary. I’ve been using komoot highlights too to get an idea of the different sections of the route. I’m really excited about the route, experiencing some new bits of the UK and seeing places most ‘normal’ people won’t ever get to see”, she continued.
“During the course of the UDS process I’ve changed jobs, moved house, broken my hand and had to be based in India for a while, so my preparation and training has had to fit around all of that lot“ said Aandy “But it’s been an amazing process and I’m feeling pretty good. I’m obviously nervous about the event and my own expectations have added to the pressure. I didn’t want to turn up to the start line as a token brown person – I wanted to be there on my own merits as a cyclist. Only 25% of starters finish the GBDuro each year and the UDS process has been about giving us the best possible chance of successfully completing the event”
Unfortunately, Carla’s plans for taking part in GBDuro have come a bit off the [t]rails. “I came back from the Pennine Rally with a bad cold” she told us “And this gradually worsened into full pneumonia. I’ve been well looked after, but the medical team who are treating me have advised me that if I take part, the risk of me doing long-term damage to my body is too great, so I’ve deferred my entry until 2023 instead. I’m obviously disappointed that I can’t take part, but I’ve got some great plans for the Autumn instead – I’m going to do some audax rides and some shorter ultra-distance rides. I’m going to bring rock climbing back into my life and start doing more running and hill walking too.”
Beyond GBDuro
We finished off our chats with the scholars by asking them whether they’ve thought about what they will do once GBDuro is safely completed. “Taking part in the UDS has really opened up the cycling world to me” said Zara “I’ve got heavily involved with some inclusive cycling and outdoor groups where I live in Bristol. I really love it, so I’m going to continue to do that. For me cycling is such a key tool for bettering mental health. I am excited to share the wonder I have found through pedalling”.
Aandy agreed with Zara’s sentiments “Because of the UDS I’m now totally emersed in the cycling world. I’ve started working in a local bike shop and I feel really ingrained into the cycling community. Taking part in the UDS has been a great conversation starter with other cyclists and I’m interested to see where it will take me in the future. I generally let things flow in my life, but the scholarship has definitely opened up some new opportunities. This feeling of being part of the community is shared by Carla too “The process has really inspired me to get more involved in the cycling community near where I live in Sheffield. As I’ve deferred my entry, my big goal for 2023 will be to successfully complete the GBDuro, but I want to bring some more diversity of activities back into my life next year too”.
We’ve agreed with the three scholars that we will catch up with them again in the Autumn and will put together a follow up story. For those of you interested in seeing how Zara and Aandy get on in the 2022 GBDuro, you will be able to track their progress on the Dotwatcher website