I had a great time cycling in my teens and twenties, having a go at touring, time trialing and even a bit of road racing with the Wansbeck CC in Northumberland. Then just before I reached 30 a back injury stopped me in my tracks and, although I didn’t realise it at the time, it would be another 17 years before I rode again seriously. The back problem has never gone away but after becoming bored to tears with swimming and being a hopeless runner I decided to get back on the bike, pain or no pain.

I turned up at one of the Seamons’ mid-week 10 mile time trials early in 2004 and received a warm welcome, as did another couple of first-timers. After getting over the shock of making a serious effort for the first time in many years I was bitten again by the cycling bug and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the last four years with a great bunch of people at the club.

Unfortunately the first three of those four years were marred by a heart problem. Atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter would cause my heart rate to go from 130 to 230 in a couple of pedal turns, which meant packing in the race or once, rather foolishly, carrying on very slowly to the finish – and then riding 20 miles home! However, three operations later,