Cyclists who are classed as mountain climbers are a special bunch, they can stand a notch above the rest on the suffer scale.
This rings tremendously true for a small bunch of cyclists in the Southern Highlands who attack the climbs with vigor and ferocity most days of the week. Did we forget to mention they are all in their sixties?
John French is an avid cyclists and firm believer of the therapeutic benefits that cycling brings to each individual. He’s traveled the world but calls Bowral home, even comparing the landscape around his abode to the European countryside.
Age is no barrier for the men and women that French rides with and is a testament to their attitude toward life.
- Who is John French? Born in France in 1953, spent early childhood in Paris. After 4 years living in Brazil returned to live in Grenoble France, the capital of the French Alps. I now live in Bowral NSW the best small town in Australia and a fantastic place to cycle. I work from Bowral in the IT industry in a company. I am one of the Founders of Subscribe-HR. Bowral offers a magical life style with a sophisticated shopping precinct, Great coffee shops and a village atmosphere where people are engaging and friendly.
- How many hours/Kilometers a week do you average on the bike? On average I ride 5 days/week and clock about 200km on the bike. I ride with a group of guys and girls who are in their sixties. We do a lot hill climbs particularly in winter to keep up our fitness and stay warm.
- Can you recall your first memory of the humble bicycle? My first memory of the bicycle was when I was 4 years of age and my father bought me my first bike. What Freedom! Later as a teenager on my third bike- A single speed it allowed me to go places including some big hills around Grenoble. It was exhilarating.
- What was the culture of cycling like where you grew up? In France in the 60s there were bikes everywhere. People used them for transport mainly. There was no bike culture as we know it today. Bikes were basis. If you had gears you were looked upon with envy. Few of us could afford it. Le tour regularly passed near my front door. My father took me to the big climbs where Poulidor and Anquetil had their famous duals. Later Eddie Merckx came on the scene. It captivated a nation made us young boys aspire to climb the big mountains. Le Tour later conquered the world as a spectacle like no other.
What aspects of cycling motivate you to ride? I returned to cycling 15 year ago on back end a minor surgery. First I discovered how unfit I was. Then I rediscovered how good it was to ride again. Not only is it good for the body but it is even better for the mind. It keeps the “black dog” away. It is the best anti depressant one can find. 18 Months ago 3 of us spent 3 weeks in France and Italy and Climbed the big ones. Galibier, Alp D’huez, Teleferique and the fabulous Passo de Stelvio. Fausto Coppi’s mountain. Once you do those climbs it changes you as a cyclist and brings you closer to the spirits in the sky.- You’ve got a team of riders with similar interests, do you have a name and what do you promote? I ride with a core group of 8 riders and we meet at a bus stop at 6 am every morning. Not all turn up each day, 4 to 6 starters is not unusual. We don’t have a name as such but are known for our hill climbing. The steeper the better. We regularly go up slopes of 8% average. Saturdays we ride the 4 peaks which includes Oxley hill, Bendooley, Old South Road (Included in the Bowral Classic) and the Gib. There is strip that commemorates the climb. You can purchase it once you have climbed it.
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John French on his ascent of the Stelvio, made famous by Fausto Coppi who would dominate the pro peloton on the climbs before and after WWII.
Your team has done a few trips overseas, where is the most scenic place you’ve ridden and how does it compare to the Southern Highlands? Some our group go on cycling trips oversees on yearly basis. Trips have included Vietnam, Bali, Sri Lanka, Laos and Europe. Riding around the Southern Highlands is as good as riding in Europe. It offers beautiful and relatively quiet country roads, clean air, and some brutal climbs if you are keen. 3 Great climbs out of the valley; Macquarie, Kangaroo Valley and Jamberoo. The tourist road is a great ride on the week-end. It takes you to Robertson via Cardiac Hill – a stress test at any age, then around the lake past Fitzroy Falls and back to Bowral for Coffee. A good 70km round trip.
- You have overcome some of your own personal adversities, how has cycling helped you along the way and can you suggest some tactics for overcoming the tough times on and off the bike? 3 Years ago I had a back operation to release a pinched sciatic nerve. It was day surgery in Sydney. My amazing recovery was testament to fitness and positive attitude. Even the surgeon was amazed. I was back in the saddle 2 weeks later climbing more hills. Given what I saw around the hospital it pays to stay fit on so many levels. I keep on telling my story to try and inspire others to do exercise. The body was designed to be moved.
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A photo from John French’s recent trip to the Italian Alps where he conquered the infamous Stelvio. The 1km to go mark after 25km of climbing and 1800m of vertical ascent.
How does the Bowral Classic Course look and what are your tips for entrants and hopefuls of conquering the 160km event? Few riders will have done this sort of distance. The key is to pace yourself. It would pay riders to remember it is not how you start that count it’s how you finish that matters. On paper it looks deceptively easier than it is. Remember that you are cycling in the “Highlands”. The first climb we call “Mount Misery” was aptly named. Short but brutal, the last 75 meters over 10%. The next 45 Kms are relatively flat but lumpy. Old South Road will be a big challenge for most. Once again the last 100 meters is brutal. Finally reverse cardiac at around KM 130 on the way back to Bowral. I recommend staying below the red line. It was so named by a cyclist and is a regular Sunday ride by the young and the fit. The focus should be on enjoying the day, the beautiful scenery, meeting other cyclists and arriving safe.
John prepared a poem after conquering the Stelvio to capture the true essence of pleasure and pain felt on that day of riding. We would like to thank John French for sparing a few moments of his time for us. We can’t wait to see him at the Bowral Classic in October.
“We finished our last ride!
Our legs are wrecked
Our bums are sore
Our bodies frozen like snowmen on the go
Our minds are still willing
But there is nowhere else to go
Our bodies have held up
Through torture and pain
Not a single day did we complain
The bikes not a single mechanical
Not even a flat tire for someone to admire
We have done ourselves proud
We have ridden without a cloud and in rain and sleet
Even where the wealthy often meet
We have tumbled down mountains
Through tunnels and lanes
Church bells ringing cows agreeing to do the same
We have seen wild life here and there
We have met people young and old
Not a single incident on the roads to be told
We have dragged our sorry arses from peak to peak
But never at any stage did we feel weak
We have learned about ourselves
And we know we are strong
Now it’s time to go home
And go back to where we belong
I hope you have enjoyed the journey with us
We have loved telling the stories that belong to us
There are yet more stories to tell over a coffee or two
We look forward to those as well in a week or two.”
