I started cycling when I was about 15. I used to ride with Otley CC who used to organise long rides in to the Yorkshire Dales on a Sunday. I enjoyed these long social rides but only did two races, both of them hill climbs in Otley.
In 1994 I went to university at Oxford. As a member of Oxford University CC I was encouraged to train more seriously but only managed one open TT before becoming ill and injured and then having to give up cycling for almost 5 years.
After joining the Sri Chinmoy centre in 1999 I tried running for a while, but a knee injury encouraged me to return to the bike. By 2004 I started racing for a local club Oxonians CC. My first race was a 10 mile TT, and I finished 4th in a time of 24.12.
My first season of racing was encouraging and so at the end of the year a friend in the Sri Chinmoy Centre suggested setting up the Sri Chinmoy CT in the UK and so since Jan 2005 I have been racing for Sri Chinmoy CT.
The Sri Chinmoy Cycling team was active in the 1970s when the Sri Chinmoy and other members of the Sri Chinmoy centre entered the Pepsi 24 hour race in New York. The Sri Chinmoy Cycling Team now has quite a few members around the world, there has been a resurgence in interest in the sport. See: Sri Chinmoy Cycling Team
Cycling Highlights
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4th National 100 Mile Time Trial Championship 2005 - 3.54.33
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4th National Hill Climb Championship 2010
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10th British Time Trial Championship 2011
support crew at National hill climb championship 2011 including Vilas Silverton and Garga Chamberlain
Personal Bests
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10 mile TT – 20.07 – June, 2011
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25 miles – 49.33 – August, 2011
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50 miles – 1. 49.34 July 2011
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100 miles – 3.52.18 – July, 2010
Course Records
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Saintbury Hill Climb 1.2 miles – 5.52 – 25/09/2011
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Guise Edge Hill climb 0.8 miles – 3.25 – 1/10/2011
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Long Hill (Buxton CC) 4.44 miles – 12.26 – 12/09/2010
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Jubilee Tower 1.70 miles – 7.13 – 04/10/2010
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N20/8 (Old, Northampton) – 20.8 miles – 46.28 – 4/06/2011
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Burrington Combe 1.8 miles – 6.51 – 16/10/2011
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Oxford – Cheltenham – Oxford 77 miles - 3.17.41 08/08/2004
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H29/18 Maidenhead CC – 30.00 – 1.09.25 – 03/04/2010
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P601 Andover Wheelers – 10.2 miles – 25.33 (*)
As a student of Sri Chinmoy, meditation is an important and integral part of my life. However, as well as meditation, Sri Chinmoy emphasises physical fitness as being beneficial for a spiritual life. Therefore Sri Chinmoy encourages activities such as running and cycling. As well as cycling I help to organise running races at Cutteslowe Park in Oxford. We also organise a 10 mile time trial for Sri Chinmoy Cycling Team.