Contributors

Tim Hubbard – Owner of 93ft and The Chimney House

I have been into cycling for around 8 years. I got the bug through friends who used to be professional cyclists. Steve Sefton, Paul Watson, Simeon Hempsall and Malcolm Elliot who is still riding at elite level at the age of 48. What a legend!

Through my work in the creative design industry (93ft) we’ve worked for Planet X on clothing and bikes and established links with many of the best-known manufacturers in the industry. We’ve designed a team car for the British Cycling Federation. We’re even in talks with one of the most prestigious bespoke eyewear producers in the UK to develop a line of cycling sports eye wear.  Of course our members will get first looks and chance to buy.

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Marco Mori – Owner of Gusto Cycling

I have been obsessed with cycling since my uncle took me to see my first ever, professional race in Munsummano Terme in 1971.  I was 11 years old.

It was the first time I had ever seen a bike race and the biggest names in cycling were there; Eddy Merckx, Gianni Motta, Franco Bitossi, Felice Gimondi and many more.  The atmosphere from the crowd was electric especially every time Merckx came speeding past.  It was a day I will never forget.

From that moment, I took up cycling with a passion, the personal challenge and the collective camaraderie cycling offers is fantastic, I have made many good friends and it has given me the opportunity to participate in events in the UK, France, Italy, Israel, Jordan and Cuba.  I have also organised a number of Charity cycle tours from the UK and Belgium to Disneyland Resort Paris, raising over £150k for the Macmillan Nurses Charity.  For groups of close friends I have also organised many private cycle trips to Italy; in particular Tuscany.

So, here’s to the future of lifestyle cycling! We hope you enjoy this blog and if you’d like to contribute whether on a ride or anything else drop us an email.

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Gian Bohan – Owner of Nonnas

My first experience of a bike was my beloved “chipper’ bike aged 8 years old! An interlude of 30 years till I decided to up grade to a Bianchi.

The time gap was filled with gastro trips to Italy feeding my passion of all that is great about Italy the fantastic food and wine.  This turned into my profession of opening Nonnas in 1996 a temple of gastronomy dedicated to my Nonna (Granny) who lived in Modena, Emila Romagna all her life.

Sport has always been a part of my life to keep the body in line with all that eating and drinking!!  The nutritonal side of sport has always interested me as my degree and masters where in Sports Science/Coaching so kow I can put that knowledge to good use!

The turning point was when one of the guys at Nonnas signed me up for the Maratona del Dolomiti, an epic event of seven 2000m passes in the Dolomites with 9000 riders and then I was hooked!!

Always wanting to do more and more, enjoy the experiences, hopefully get better on the bike and have a fun along the way!!

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Glenn Foster – Stunt Man

I work in the movie industry as a stunt performer and have been an avid cyclist and cycling fan for many years.  Originally a keen mountain biker, I made the switch to road cycling around 10 years ago.  For me cycling is a way of training and recovering following the rigours of a hectic movie schedule.  I also enjoy the aesthetics and culture surrounding cycle sport as a whole.

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Sally Clark – Owner of Lark Pr and The Chimney House

It was horses all the way with me…i’ve ridden since I was tiny and am still addicted to bombing around the countryside on horseback.  Have got the biking bug and am loving it!! Girls we’re on the look out for more riders in the La Squadra Rosa… Get in touch if you’d like to join us!

My work with LARK is dedicated to working with some of the best independent life and style brands in the UK and helping them hit their mark and their audience.  Since opening The Chimney House in March 2010 I have been focusing on brand affiliation allowing brands using our Meeting Room to be represented in the way that is right and fitting for their brand ethos and profile which is up there in importance I think for members of La Squadra!

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Ian Nutt – Photographer

I’ve been riding bicycles since i was a dot.
They’ve come and gone a little over the years, but now, at just over 40 years old, they are as important to me today as they were on those endless, scorching hot days of school holidays when I’d ride off with my mates and not be back before sunset. I still ride because cycling still gives me that feeling of freedom and adventure that it did when I was a kid.  I have to have my daily fix of riding. I ride to work, to the shops. I ride with the club on Saturday mornings. I race time-trials. I’ve even tried road racing. If I don’t ride, it affects my mood. My wife will tell you…
I’ve been taking pictures almost as long as I’ve been riding. I carry a camera all the time, especially on the bike and most of the pictures I take are of bikes, bike parts or bike riders.
I’ve had my pictures used by Singletrack, Dirt Rag and CityCycling magazines and on cycling (British Cycling, Road CC), tourism and health websites around the world. I’ve also held exhibitions in Leicester’s City Gallery.
I’m very excited to get involved with a squad who share my addiction.

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Nick Cotton – La Squadra Member

I ride bikes for various reasons as it helps me keep in good shape, explore new areas, socialise with friends, make new ones, think, etc. But, on the most part I ride because I love to.  I’m a keen advocate of effort, and firmly believe you get out of life what you put in. Cycling doesn’t fall outside of that philosophy as determination on the bike often leads to improvement. That doesn’t necessarily mean you become a faster rider; it could result in being safer, more proficient, better at descending, having a higher level of endurance, or all of the above plus some others I’ve not thought of.  The point is that anyone has the capability to improve, but the gains you achieve are, in my opinion at least, linked with the amount of effort you’re willing to put in.

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Greg Walker – La Squadra Member

A relatively recent convert to road biking, I’d been a hang glider and paraglider pilot for years and gradually made the transition from wings to wheels – first into mountain biking, followed by a three year 20 mile daily commute. The logical next step was a road bike…

I’d quickly become hooked on tv coverage of the Tour de France and my road biking friends reeled me in further with stories of their own heroics riding L’Alpe d’Huez and the Col du Galibier. They suggested I join them on their weekend rides – after years involved in largely solitary sports, I quite liked the idea of a bit of company, the camaraderie, the laughs (and frankly I was envious of them sitting around my local cafe looking cool while I looked like something out of a what not to wear handbook in my baggy, reflective clothes and mud-caked MTB boots).

Decision made, I bought my first road bike, a carbon-framed Condor Leggero. And of course, I had to have the fancy new Rapha kit to go with it. From the moment I clipped into the pedals and set off, I had a grin as wide as a Brooks B190 (that’s the saddle for those who like plenty of rear support) – and I’ve loved almost every moment since. There was something about that mixture of freedom, self-generated power and speed that got to me – it was a world away from the tyre-sucking, plodding pace of my mountain bike. I wished I’d rediscovered it years ago.

I’m also a long-time Italophile: the food, the design, the coffee, the cars – and now the bikes, of course. I’m fascinated by the whole road biking culture, its stories and characters – particularly the Giro and the history of Italian cycling, so I was delighted to discover La Squadra almost on my doorstep.

My impression of cycling clubs – based entirely on prejudice having never been a member of one – was of a group of earnest, middle-aged men in questionable synthetic clothing and black calf-length nylon socks standing around discussing gear ratios and reminiscing about Campag delta brakes while drinking real ale (maybe I’m getting confused with morris dancers, I don’t know). It was a view largely formed by a similar experience I had when I once had the misfortune to attend a car club meeting.

Fortunately, La Squadra’s philosophy, ‘it isn’t always about the bike’, meant that my preconceptions were unfounded – quite the reverse, in fact – the club’s events not only appeared to be rather stylish and friendly, but also came nicely packaged with good coffee and delicious pasta! Suffice to say I signed up, bought the jersey and now find myself here as a contributor. Though I have to admit, while I am happy to wax lyrical here in the forum, I haven’t yet found it within myself to wax or shave my legs…