My cycling history and a little more about me

                                         Name:                 Mark Tann

                                                   Age:                    35

                                                   Height:                6"1

                                                   Weight:               183lbs

                                                   Starsign:             Capricorn

                                                   Favourite food:   Pasta, chicken

                                                   Favourite drink:  Tea

I started recreational cycling in 1979 at the age of seven and remember my first bike was a Raleigh Chopper, fully equipped with a motorbike saddle and automatic transmission type gear stick.  Hardly a road bike but great for wheelies!

A few years later, my parents bought me a blue Raleigh Grifter.  This had one of the most heaviest frames I've ever seen on a bicycle.  Try as I did, I could never lift it off the ground in true juvenile style but it was more than adequate for rides in the parks and on pavements.

At the age of 14, I made the breakthrough and purchased my first road bicycle; a bottom of the range yellow and white coloured Falcon.  I thought the bike was the business and was convinced it was the bike that professional cyclists used in the Tour de France.  Little did I know....

In 1987, cycling took a back seat as I began smoking.  This I did for twelve years, until one day I realised I should be getting back on a bike again.  This was after I weighed myself and had got the shock of my life; the scales read 18 stone!  Replacing pizzas, chips and the like with yoghurts, fruit, chicken and similar food meant I not only had a better appetite for eating but also for exercise.

I vividly remember my first ride back in the saddle, riding a £50 Coventry Eagle mountain bike.  I could barely manage 5 miles, but gave up cigarettes after this ride - I was simply too tired to roll one up and smoke it.  My target weight was 13 stone and I managed to reach this within eight months, purely by exercising and healthy eating.

Riding the Coventry Eagle, I completed the 58 mile London to Southend charity bike ride for the very first time.  I would describe this ride as being on a flat course with one exception, a very steep climb at Chingford.

However, in the two years leading up to this I reached sufficient fitness to be able to complete 50 mile training rides a couple of times a week.  Since this event was of a similar distance, I decided against raising funds; the distance was not a challenge for me so took part in different activities for charity instead.  The following year, I did the same ride, again on a non fundraising basis.

In 2000, I bought a then top quality road bike; a Specialized S-Works with Shimano Ultegra groupset.  Now this was a Ferrari compared to the then other bike, the Coventry Eagle. 

How could I ever forget my first encounter with clipless pedals soon after!  I was riding towards a set of traffic lights with my feet firmly clipped into the pedals.  I completely forgot to unclip the foot.  By the time I realised, I was at the traffic lights and could not go any further forward.  It was too late and had nowhere to go but hit the floor like a pack of cards, a 0 mph crash!.  Not amusing at the time but now I can see the funny side and have a laugh and joke about it! 

In 2002, I moved to Norwich and soon resumed cycling, joining a very friendly cycling club called Velo Club Norwich.  The club has expanded significantly since I joined; there were only 20 members back then but it now boasts approximately 65 riders.  In the three years since I joined, I've been regularly attending Sunday club rides.  Usually they are over a distance of 40-60 miles.

A year later, I completed the Norwich 100 mile cycle ride.  Again, the course was fairly flat with a few lumpy hills here and there, but nothing compared to what awaits me next June!

Come November 2005, I bought my first ever winter training frame and fork; a red Stelvio frame and Ambrosio carbon fork.  I built the bike up myself using cheap parts which would not be too costly to replace if the weather ruins them.  I will be using this bike throughout the winter and spring.

In January 2007, I purchased my first ever carbon fibre road bike with 10 speed gearing.  A Trek Madone for me is my dream bike and I have spent many an evening staring at Trek catalogues in the hope that one day I'd have an opportunity to own one.   Click here to view some pictures.

I can often be seen on the Norfolk roads of an evening, doing some base mileage riding.  Therefore, basic fitness can be maintained leading up to the training plan.

Public liability, personal accident insurance and legal representation wise, I have Gold membership with the British Cycling Federation and my membership number is 447535. 

Finally, to the present and future, I will be doing a lot of training; I have devised a six month training plan which started on 20 January 2006 for the French Alps effort.  For every fundraising ride, I will be reporting my progress each and every time I train via the Training blog link. 

In April 2005, I made the decision to resign from the most recent employment on health grounds.  I recognised my health came before anything and looking back, it was the best decision I have ever made and one I'll never regret.  At the time of writing this article, I remain signed off work by my Doctor.

Cycling has played an integral part in my continuing recovery from stress and depression.  It is due to this and my love for cycling that I'm doing this series of rides for genuine good causes.  If I can help others by doing these bike rides, then it will make all the hours spent training and constructing this website very worthwhile.

                                                                                Date article submitted: 21 January 2006