DCU cycling club show concerns as field sports are taking more students out of the saddle

Irish students cycle less than students in other European countries due to the amount of time spent doing field sports, according to DCU Cycling Club.

Club officials said the competitive nature of the sport and poor awareness of the social qualities of cycling are the reasons students in Ireland spend less time on their bikes.

“It’s an issue that Irish people don’t cycle,” said treasurer Greg May. “Few people in Ireland get into cycling as a hobby largely because it’s an expensive sport – and that puts a lot of students off.”
DCU won every discipline at the 2008 Cycling Intervarsity hosted with UCD and Trinity College. The club also won Best Sporting Event at the Clubs & Societies Awards.

However, despite last year being the club’s most successful on the competitive front, committee leaders are keen to promote the social aspect of cycling.

“People join to have fun and that’s what we want to do,” said May, adding that: “Rather than being seen purely as a racing club, we want to push the social aspect of the club.”

One way the club tries to encourage more students to cycle is by covering the race entry fees and bike repairs of new members and beginners. For training sessions, cyclists usually ride out and then go for a drink.

Competitions are also becoming more socially-orientated with receptions of food, beer and music afterwards. The size of the club and number of members mean cyclists can get to know each other easier. “Even if more people rode into college, they’d find out how nice it is to cycle,” concluded May.