Mullingar's Lakeside Wheelers host first round of the Leinster Cyclocross League

All roads lead to Belvedere House and Gardens on Sunday, October 19th for the first round of the Leinster Cyclocross League. This will be the third time Lakeside Wheelers will have hosted this very exciting day of racing and it will be the last of the big club events for 2025.

Cyclocross is an off-road discipline, usually held on a grass track with several obstacles and depending on the weather, it can get very muddy which makes for very difficult racing. It is now well and truly established on the Irish cycling scene with races every weekend over the winter and the Belvedere circuit is fast becoming a favourite.

Preparation work to get the circuit ready for the big day commenced last Saturday with a team of volunteers from the club setting to work with strimmers, clearing sections of grass and woodland trails. Fortunately, the recent Sprocket Rocket programme which was held in Belvedere over the summer was staged on some parts of the route which means there will be less work this year to have it in good order for the 150 riders who will be competing on the day.

There will be races for all levels from underage boys and girls up to senior men and women and with coffee and snacks available on site, it is truly a great family day out so make sure not to miss it.

Mizen To Malin

Lakeside Wheelers member, Ian Kenny, recently completed the marathon cycle from Mizen Head to Malin Head and in the process managed to raise an astounding €125,000 for the organising charity.

Cycle Against Suicide is a charity that focuses on promoting education and awareness of mental health by trying to change the culture and narrative around suicide. Ian and his colleagues from Jacobs Engineering joined a host of other cyclists and rode the 721km journey over six days.

They were joined by a selection of cycling royalty along the way with former professional rider and brother of Stephen Roche, Laurence Roche, two time Ras Tailteann winner, Philip Cassidy and Paul McCormack, a former Irish Olympian cyclist also completing the huge ride.

The trip began at the southernmost tip of Ireland and over the six days the riders rode between 100 and 130kms daily.

En route to the most northerly point of the country they were supported by a large team of volunteers looking after transport, marshalling, accommodation and food stops. Ian stated that it was an extremely enjoyable experience and recommends it to anyone interested in cycling and helping this worthwhile charity. Well done Ian, you certainly deserve a rest now.

Golden Anniversary Celebration

There has been a fantastic response to the idea of celebrating the club’s Golden Anniversary with a club spin, an overnight stay with dinner, B&B and a return spin, all happening on the 25th and 26th of April, 2026. Over 100 deposits were received up to last Friday so, it looks like there will be a great weekend of entertainment to be had.

As of yet, the routes and finer details of the trip are not known but rest assured, the sub-committee in charge of festivities will come up with the goods. What is known is that the destination for the party is the fabulous four-star, Hodson Bay Hotel on the shores of Lough Ree and all other details will be made available in due course.

The committee would like tothank all those who have placed deposits for themselves and their partners and suggest that anyone who missed the deadline should contact any committee member to get in on the act so, don’t waste any more time, get your place reserved now.

Winter Cycling

As the weeks pass, the prospect of full on winter cycling replacing the shorts and jerseys of summer comes closer and closer. Cyclists cannot complain after the summer of 2025 with lots of opportunities to ride in glorious sunshine but with September coming to an end, it is time now to turn our attention to what it takes to continue cycling in colder and wetter weather.

First off is to ensure your wardrobe is adequately stocked to withstand these challenging conditions so check that your waterproofs and windshield jackets haven’t been attacked by moths since the last time you wore them. Next up is your winter bike if you use one and it’s time to give it the once-over service to make sure the tyres are in good condition, the chain and gear mechanics are well oiled and that it has front and rear lights for visibility.

Lastly, but also very importantly, please make sure that it’s fitted with good mudguards to protect you and your fellow riders from all the dirt and other nasty s*&t that can come up off the roads.

After all that, it’s time to embrace the winter, enjoy the slower spins even if they are a little chillier and remember, stay safe.