Introducing...
Every month, we introduce one of the Kingston Wheelers. April 2005's candidate is Mike Willcox. Mike joined the Kingston Wheelers after a 20 year break from the sport. He started racing immediately and has been notching up some impressive results already.
Name: Mike Willcox
Age: 57
What made you start cycling? Up to the age of 23 I played a lot of football and suffered a very bad knee injury in a training match. Three operations and two years later I thought it was a good idea to try something else. My father-in-law was a cyclist and he got me interested in cycling in 1975 at the age of 26. I gave up riding in 1982 and took it up again in August 2004 as rehabilitation for a heart attack that I had in April 2004, with a view to start racing again in 2005.
Date you joined the Club: 2005
What bike do you ride? I have what I would call a traditional Gios steel frame bike, which is the sort of bike I rode in the 70's and 80's, which I use for training, any road racing I may do, and hilly time trials. My time trial bike is a low profile Roberts frame with tri-bars and a disc wheel. All very strange and proving difficult to get used to.
Give us a brief cycling background: I have only really ridden short distance Time Trials. I joined the North Road CC in 1975. Briefly rode for Feltham RC and the Hounslow & District Wheelers before joining the Bec CC in 1980. I re-joined the North Road CC in 1982 for what was my last season before starting again this year.
What was your best performance? I finished third in a 50 mile TT to Ian Cammish and Roger Queen in the weekend following the National 50 where Ian won the Gold medal and Roger the bronze. I was 14 seconds behind Roger which would have been good enough for 4th place in the National 50. However my best performance was when I won the Eastern Counties 25 mile championship on the E1/25 on a really foul day with gale force winds in 1.00.12.
What was your worst day on the bike? I once rode a 100 mile time trial with no help and one drink relying on the official feeding stations for help. I suffered very badly with the dreaded bonk but just managed to finish. I still get nightmares.
What is your favourite race food? Would you believe that I never took food during a race and drank only Orange squash with 3 spoonfuls of honey per bottle. Now I know differently and eat bananas and malt loaf, but still take my tried and tested drink.
Where is your favourite cycling location? I love racing on the F1 course on the A1 in Bedfordshire and the E1 course on the A11 in Essex.
Most likely to say: "I need to lose a few pounds to get down to my racing weight."
Least likely to say: "Don't give me any roast potatoes."
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