Dublin’s biggest cycling club Orwell Wheelers heads into the 2016 season in rude health thanks in no small part to the generous assistance of Scott Bicycles.
The famous US bike manufacturer is supporting Orwell Wheelers in a multi-year deal as the club continues through a period of sustained growth.
Speaking at the launch of the Scott Bikes partnership with Orwell at the Cavern Bar in Baggot Street tonight was Mel Sutcliffe, CEO Scott Bicycles.
“This is a busy time for Scott Bikes with sustained growth in sales reflecting the popularity of the sport. Orwell Wheelers is a vibrant, friendly and successful club which works hard to promote the sport in all its forms to all ages, particularly to young riders.
“My sponsorship of the Junior Tour, Orwell Wheelers and two other clubs which we will announce later this month should prove my commitment to the sport. I am very grateful for the people I have met through the sport and for what cycling has done for me.
In welcoming the support of Scott Bicycles to the club, Orwell Wheelers President Denis Gleeson explained: “Mel approached us with the aim of providing key support for our youth development initiative and the backing from Scott Bikes is helping us to bring the sport of cycling, with all the health benefits, its rich heritage and the joys that it brings.
“Our aim is to provide an environment for young riders male and female to learn about cycling as a sport that they can carry through their life. Scott Bikes is helping us to do that.”
For the coming year the club, which currently caters to a membership of over 500, is focusing much of its activity on attracting and developing youth talent with a series of training and racing programmes at the closed road racing circuit at Corkagh Park and on the track at the outdoor velodrome in Sundrive Road.
In addition, Orwell Wheelers enjoys the most equitable gender balance of any similarly sized club in the country with well over 100 women taking to the roads every week in a variety of racing and leisure cycling groups.
Reflecting the increased popularity in cycling throughout the country, membership levels have risen across all age groups in the club that gave Tour de France hero Stephen Roche his start in cycling back in the 1970s.
At that time the club had dwindled to just a few stalwarts until, with the energy and vision of former national champion Noel O’Neill, Roche and other future continental professional stars were recruited to help restore the club to former glory.
Continuing its great tradition of racing Orwell is planning to enter teams in both the men’s An Post Rás and the women’s An Post Rás na mBan.
The club is very active in the burgeoning leisure cycling scene with the distinctive Scott Orwell colours prominent at countless sportives and mass participation bike rides throughout the season.
The club also promotes a number of important events on the cycling calendar including the popular Orwell Randonée in May, entry for which has been oversubscribed in the past two years.
The Hammond Memorial Race in April is an event which honours the memory of two of the club’s stalwart supporters in what is one of the most prestigious time trials on the national calendar.
And the long running Stephen Roche Grand Prix is, perhaps, Ireland’s most popular annual ‘criterium’ circuit race, taking place each June on the roads of the Meadowmount Estate in Churchtown where the 1987 Tour de France winner learned to ride a bike.
A popular club league and an early summer Orwell Women’s League add to a portfolio of events for an extremely active committee which enjoys volunteer support throughout the membership.
The social side of cycling has rarely been as actively pursued as it currently is in Orwell with monthly events belying the view that a cycling club’s activity is confined to the road, track or trail.
looking good Orla!