Track cycling Archives -

What are the seven types of female cyclist?

May 9, 2019 Nicola Children riding, Commuting by bike, Cycle groups, Cycling Club racing, Mountain bike riding, Track cycling, Women cycling

For a bit of fun (please don’t take it too seriously), I’ve identified seven types of female cyclist. I’ve deliberately used the word cyclist because that’s what I call myself, but I know that many of the groups I’ve identified wouldn’t use that term. With my arbitrary categories I also acknowledge that some women move from one group to another – An ‘Occasional rider’ could catch the bug and become an ‘Obsessed road cyclist’. And women can be more than one category at the same time – an ‘Obsessed road cyclist’ can also be a ‘Commuter’, a ‘Mountain biker’ and

Success at the National Junior Track Championships for Keira

April 11, 2019 Nicola Children riding, Cycling Club racing, Track cycling, Women cycling

One of the areas I really love to cover in my blogs is female professional cyclists and this week I’m profiling a young rider who just finished a very successful National Junior Track Championships and aspires to greater things. Her name is Keira Will and she’s just 13 years old, but to meet her you’d think she was older. At the recent Championships, where she competed in the Under 15 girls category she won five medals – three gold and two bronze. Plus she took home the coveted Champion of Champions jersey for being the Under 15 girl with the

Five reasons why you should try track cycling

March 25, 2019 Nicola Track cycling, Women cycling

A couple of weeks ago I was involved in a women’s track cycling camp that gave female riders a chance to try track cycling on the velodrome that was used for the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. Many of the riders were there to polish their skills, but there were three brand new trackies who hit the boards for the first time. Here’s five reasons why you should consider it: 1. You’ll get better at riding in a bunch If you’re a dedicated road rider like me, track riding can improve your bunch riding skills because track training forces you

A Must read for cycling fans is Bridie O’Donnell’s Life and Death – a Cycling Memoir

June 19, 2018 Nicola Cycle racing, Professional cycling, Track cycling, Women cycling

The very first interview (via email) I conducted when I started this blog nearly seven years ago was with Bridie O’Donnell, so I was very interested when I read that she’d penned a book called Life and Death – a Cycling Memoir. I’ve followed her career with interest since then, and wrote a second post after she broke the Women’s UCI Hour record the year before year. In fact, just after I published the second post I was in Geelong for the Cadel Great Ocean Ride and I spotted her across the road putting money in a parking meter. I

Help – Will cycling make my thighs bigger?

April 17, 2018 Nicola Professional cycling, Track cycling, Women cycling

This seems to be one of those recurring questions that I get asked – Will cycling make my thighs bigger? You’ll be pleased to know that the answer is an emphatic no. In my own case I’ve slimmed down in my thigh and bottom area since I took up cycling, even though I actually weigh more than I previously did. Here’s a few reasons why your legs are not going to expand: Muscle is leaner than fat Muscle weighs a lot more than fat. Cycling will change the shape of your legs, but unless you’re doing a lot of squats,

Meet the women of the Australian Commonwealth Games Cycling team

March 27, 2018 Nicola Track cycling, Women cycling

The Commonwealth Games on Queensland’s Gold Coast start next Wednesday so I thought I’d introduce the women of the Australian Commonwealth Games Cycling team. Here’s a rundown of the female Aussie cyclists who will be riding on the track, road and trails. The track program runs from Thursday, 5 April to Sunday, 8 April, with the women’s road race on Saturday, 14 April. The women’s time trial is on Tuesday, 10 April and the mountain bike on Thursday, 12 April 2018. Defending scratch race Gold medallist and dual world champion Annette Edmondson, dual 2014 Games medallist and world champion Amy Cure

A female rider’s guide to indoor trainers

March 21, 2017 Nicola Indoor trainers, Track cycling, training, Women cycling

In my hometown of Sydney, we’ve had heaps of rain over the past couple of weeks, and in fact it’s raining as I write my guide to indoor trainers. Prolonged wet weather always gets Sydney cyclists talking about using indoor trainers to keep fit. We’re lucky enough to ride all year round in most parts of Australia, but there are plenty of riders around the world who head indoors during their very cold winters. So I thought it would be worthwhile to provide some information about the indoor trainer options, especially with the huge growth in the use of ‘smart’

Catching up with the Aussie women of Wiggle High5

March 14, 2017 Nicola Cycle racing, Olympic Games, Professional cycling, Track cycling, Women cycling

A couple of weeks ago I published an interview with Wiggle High5 owner/manager Rochelle Gilmore and thought I’d follow it up with an interview with the other Aussie women of Wiggle High5, riders Amy Cure and Nettie (Annette Edmondson). Enjoy…. Q: How have you found the racing in Australia over the summer months? Amy – It has been really fun. I’ve enjoyed myself a lot. I think taking a break from the road last season has really helped me, and I think It’s what I needed. It really confirmed how much I missed it, and I’m really looking forward to

Meet Australia’s women’s cycling team for Rio

July 19, 2016 Nicola Olympic Games, Track cycling, Women cycling

I’m super excited that the Rio Olympics Games are starting in a little over two weeks and thought I should help introduce you to Australia’s women’s cycling team for Rio. The Games of the XXXI Olympiad, as they are formally known, will be held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. And despite all the naysayers about economic issues and other problems in Brazil, I think it will be a great event because the Brazilians sure know how to host a party. The women’s cycling team for Rio includes four disciplines – road, track, mountain bike

Nettie Edmondson – firmly focused on track cycling Gold in Rio

May 24, 2016 Nicola Cycle racing, Olympic Games, Professional cycling, Track cycling, Women cycling

I recently touched base with Australian road & track cyclist Nettie Edmondson who is firmly focused on track cycling gold in Rio. I had the pleasure of meeting Nettie for the first time about four years ago and soon after wrote my first post about her. By coincidence one my friend’s daughters Keira, who is a keen track & road cyclist herself, is a huge fan of Nettie’s. So last year when we all visited Adelaide for the Tour Down Under I arranged for us to meet up with Nettie. Keira is pictured here with her hero. I was really