Name - Graham Hurst
Year of Birth - 1963
Main cycling activities - Currently doing lots of homework leading toward my LEVEL 3 Certificate in Coaching Cycling, and riding my bike as and when I can.
In the past, it’s been time trialling, road racing, track (both hard and grass track) cyclo-cross and roller racing - some would same jack of most forms of racing and master of none (I have yet to try a mountain bike race!!!!)
Hobbies outside of cycling. - Not much time these days but in the past I have done a bit of board sailing.
Best cycling moment. - Several here. Riding the national motor paced championship finals at Leicester 3 years running 1986/7/8 - best placing was 6th. The big bikes on the track, the stands full, the atmosphere was electric.
Being young, free and single, having a cycling holiday in the Pyrenees and riding down the Col du Tourmalet and trying to get down as fast as possible, I can remember overtaking cars and caravans and even articulated lorries.(I do not think it is something I would do today.)
Riding the Guernsey cycling festival in the early 1980s and being asked to lead a club mate out in the sprint, which I duly did, went for the long leadout as instructed, put my head down and went for it at 200metres to go, realised he was nowhere to be seen so just kept going and only 2 riders got past me so I ended up with 3rd place, Then in the afternoon they has some circuit racing on a go-kart track where I got 2 wins. All in all a great day.
Again in the early 1980s, I rode the Catford Hill Climb – I had taken advice from a certain Max Pendleton (yes Vicky’s Dad) He had won the event several times in the past, so was sure I had the right gear etc. What I was not prepared for was the crowds out in the road - it really was like you see on the tv, you could not see the road just a crowd of screaming, shouting people - you just rode straight at them and a gap appeared. The pain I felt at the top - words can not describe !!!.
Turning up to a roller race which had advertised an unrestricted gear race to end the evening with a 94tooth chain ring. The bike was used by me and 2 club mates - we took 1St 2nd and 3rd place.(see photo.)
Worst cycling moments - Being on holiday in France and coming back to my car only to find some horrible French person had broken into my car (smashed the window) and stolen my wheels (they did leave the rest of the bike).
Riding a distance race on the track lying in third place and doing all the work at the front of the bunch, catching the 2 who had broken away with only 2 laps to go (so was feeling pretty good) only to realise I had a puncture in my front wheel – thought ”well it’s not flat yet just keep going”, so I did - however I did not make it round the next bend, I slid very spectacularly into the crowd (they did all move very quickly) when I came to a standstill I was laying on my side still strapped into the pedals and still holding the handle bars and not very happy.
Riding the Welwyn Wheelers Hilly TT on Good Friday one year and feeling keen I started in shorts, the temperature was about 1 or 2 degrees. A few miles after I started it started to rain – very cold rain. I cannot tell you how cold I was when I finished, I couldn’t hold a hot drink properly as I was shivering so much and I had to be undressed, dried off and dressed by my wife and a club mate and the only reason the organiser did not insist I go to hospital was the fact the Sue (my wife) is a nurse and she promised to keep a close eye on me. Only after I finished did I find out that most riders had packed after the rain had started.!!!!
Favourite food - Home made steak and kidney pie cooked by my wife
Favourite music - I will listen to most music currently on the MP3 player it ranges from Pink Floyd to Katie Melua and you can’t beat a bit of Status Quo for training on the turbo.
Training Tip.- Quality not quantity ( I have tried the quantity way - it takes a lot longer and the results are not so good)
Carbon or Titanium? - I have neither, all my bikes are steel. However should anyone want to get me a new bike, to be sure maybe they should get me one of each and I can then report back!!
Turbo or Road? - In daylight the road wins every time, if it’s dark and I have no one to go out with, the turbo
What have we missed? Family, partners, pets, obsessions? - My 2 greatest supporters are my wife Sue and daughter Rebecca, I love them both to bits - they are also both Poole Wheelers with Rebecca now starting to race more , I feel Sue’s racing days are over!
I have no pets – only a wife.
Obsessions don’t think so but I am passionate about the Poole Wheelers club and always wish all its members every success in what ever aspect of cycling that they wish to pursue