CYCLING IN THE VALLEY
SPORT AND COMMUNITY COMBINED
Gill Sherry
If you’re familiar with the towns and villages of the Irvine Valley, you may also be familiar with the black, red and white jerseys of Loudoun Road Club. The cycle club was established in 1981 and can boast a healthy male/female membership of around 70 cyclists of varying standards and ages. However, this hasn’t always been the case, as Club Secretary, John McCracken, explains.
“We rebranded and reorganised in 2021. The club had become a wee bit tired and was possibly just a wee group of fast men. But we’ve made a lot of effort to widen the club.”
The club now has a women’s section, the Loudoun Ladies, and is actively trying to encourage more women to join up by ensuring they feel comfortable cycling in a group.
“There are women only rides and general social rides. We’ve got riders of all ages, including my daughter who is twelve… all the way up to folk in their sixties and seventies.”
So it’s more of a family club now?
“Definitely. We have what we call a monthly social where riders go at the pace of the slowest rider. The social ride always incorporates a stop for coffee/tea and cake so sometimes we split into two groups so the faster or more able group will take a longer road and the slower ones who may want to chat will take a shorter route. Then we’ll all meet up together.”
That said, there is still a serious side to the club. After all, it is one of the most successful clubs in the Ayrshire and Dumfriesshire region, with riders who have won numerous Scottish and Ayrshire titles, including former hour record holder and track World Champion, Graham Obree.
“We’ve got a number of riders who ride competitively, including myself. We have riders who do time trials at various events. I tend to do longer endurance events of the 100–200-kilometre mark, often off road. We’ve got people that have done road racing. And despite being a road club we’ve got people who have raced in mountain biking, gravel racing and cyclo-cross as well.”
The club’s best attended events are its own Club Championships which take place throughout the year from February/March to September/October.
“Although there’s a competitive edge, there is a social element, and everybody enjoys taking part in those challenges.
“We have time trials. There’s a climb that comes out of Priestland, which is just out the other end of Darvel, which is called the Mast Climb because it climbs up to the Darvel Mast. It’s short in distance but harder on the lungs. Recently we had a wee mountain bike race within the club. It takes place at the Barony A Frame, because we have quite a few members from that neck of the woods, so they organise that. And then we have various short time trials across Ayrshire that we run and coordinate ourselves.”
And then, of course, there’s Darvélo, an annual festival that takes place in Darvel which is as much about the community as it is about cycling.
“Our first one was in 2023. When the World Championships came to Glasgow there was funding made available, and it was agreed that we’d try and have our first official event at The Corner by accessing this funding.”
The Corner is Darvel’s award-winning community event space which came to life in 2023 as a result of the hard work and commitment of Darvel Area Regeneration Team (DART), which is made up entirely of local volunteers. As is the Darvélo committee, which includes John.
“The first one was a trial run. We did it over two days and it was a success. People liked it so we put it on again last year, but we did it over one day. Everyone loved it so we just decided we’re going to do it again!”
This year, the event will take place on Saturday 14th June.
“There are three organised cycles on the day. Setting off first is the Big Cycle which used to be 75k but is 90k this year, so just a shade over 50 miles. Then, half an hour later, Cycle Ayrshire has organised a shorter, probably more languid-paced cycle. And then, just after those two organised rides, CycleStation, the local bike shop, does a family ride.”
The family ride runs along the River Irvine from Darvel to Newmilns and is an important part of the Darvélo festival which aims to showcase Darvel as a cycle-friendly destination for all ages and abilities.
“Darvélo is for everybody. The great thing about it is that there are people who will take two and a bit hours to do the Big Cycle, but then there are people that will take four hours to do it, so you’ve got a constant stream of people returning, plus those returning from the shorter cycle and the family cycle, so it’s busy all day, which is great.”
The event starts at 10am when those taking part in the Big Cycle head off on their ride. There is live music throughout the day which usually continues until around 6pm.
“The last two years the weather’s been lovely, so people have sat at The Corner and listened to the music. It’s been great.”
Fingers crossed the weather is kind again for Darvélo ’25. But regardless of the weather, there is plenty to look forward to. As well as cheering on the riders, there will be a bustling marketplace, delicious street food and drinks, and plenty of community spirit.
“That’s the thing about the Valley, and why we’ve been successful. I think sometimes we can feel a wee bit isolated from events that are maybe happening more centrally round about in Kilmarnock and Ayr. So when people put things on in the Valley, Valley people go to it and really support it, because they’re pleased somebody’s doing something in their town. The local community has been very supportive of it.”
That’s good to know, because John and his fellow committee members have been working hard to ensure another successful festival.
“I’ve extended the route for the Big Cycle that Loudoun Road Club organises. It actually takes a wee bit of South Lanarkshire in, because Darvel sits right on the border.”
The inaugural festival in 2023 saw 40-50 people taking part in the Big Cycle, mostly from the local area. In 2024, that number increased to 80-90 cyclists from far and wide. No doubt this year’s festival will attract more still, firmly establishing Darvélo as a well organised, well supported community event.
Prior to that, John is looking forward to another Loudoun Road Club event, the Bruce Cockburn Time Trial. Apparently, cyclists come from all over to take part in the 17-mile race from Sorn. I wonder if John will win. I get the impression he’s a pretty decent cyclist.
“I am,” he admits, “but I don’t like to say that when there’s other people round about.”
Fast but modest!
For more information on Loudoun Road Club visit
www.loudounroadclub.com and to find out more about Darvélo, go to www.discoverdarvel.com/darvelo/
