A former rowing captain has given keen cyclists at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) the chance to join their own chain gang, forming a new cycling club for students.
Chris Stanton made the switch from boat to bike this summer, after deciding he wanted a new challenge.
Chris, a third year Marketing and Management student said he’d always been keen on sports having done a lot when he was younger.
The 20-year-old said: “When I started university two years ago, I came looking for a cycling club, but couldn’t find one.
“I got involved in DMU Rowing Club but felt like I had achieved everything I wanted to with them over two years. I wanted a new challenge.
“Cycling was the obvious choice for me, as it was still a big part of my life despite doing other sports.
“There still wasn’t a club so rather than wait around for someone else to do it I decided to do it myself, searching around for other people who loved cycling and were keen to put in the effort to get the club up and running.”
DMU Cycling offers an opportunity for students to try something new, make new friends and lead a fit and healthy lifestyle alongside their studies.
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The club are also working towards completing endurance rides as well as competing in British University and College Sports (BUCS) competitions in April 2017.
Chris said: “At a club level we’d love to perform well at BUCS and even earn a point.
“We have several members already starting training with that in sight, so hopefully come April we will have several members trying to stamp their authority on the university circuit.
“We would also like to send some people to competitions at least once a month, but we are currently in the off season for cycling, so events will begin from March onwards, which will be a great time for our members to gain some competitive experience.”
DMU currently has a Cycle2work scheme which encourages both staff and students to cycle to university to reduce carbon emissions.
Chris said: “The university aims to establish itself as one of the most carbon neutral universities in the UK.
“If you’ve never cycled, then my biggest bit of advice to you is to learn.
“In a world that is quickly becoming over-populated by cars, cycling is the new best way to travel.
“I personally travel to university every day on my bike, cutting a walk of 30 minutes to a ride of about 10 minutes.
“It’s a great life skill to have and we are happy to help you learn.”
The club currently meet every Tuesday evening at 9pm for spin circuits at DMU’s Queen Elizabeth II Leisure Centre. Regular rides also take place on Wednesday’s, Saturday’s and Sunday’s.
For full contact details for DMU Cycling visit: https://www.demontfortsu.com/sport/7735/
Posted on Thursday 6 October 2016