Go for a Spin

As Scotland's Commonwealth Games team competes in Melbourne, we take a timely look at the country's outstanding contribution to cycling, past and present.

To say that Scotland was in at the start is no idle boast. Today's estimated eight million cyclists have none other than Dumfriesshire blacksmith Kirkpatrick Macmillan to thank for the first prototype. By adding gears, levers, cranks and rods to a hobbyhorse he was repairing, Kirkpatrick created what's widely acknowledged to be the forerunner of the modern bicycle in 1840. In true Auld Alliance fashion, the French helped with the next stage of the bicycle's development, as well as the growth of cycling as a sporting and social phenomenon, but it was two more Scots – John Macadam and John Boyd Dunlop – who gave the world a smooth surface to cycle on and what must have seemed the luxury of pneumatic, solid rubber tyres.

Go at your own pace

One of the beauties of cycling, of course, is that you don't have to be a yellow jersey-wearing sportsman to enjoy it. For most, it's a leisure activity . . . and a very enjoyable one at that! What better way to spend the day than on a leisurely (some might prefer 'sedate') bike ride along traffic-free roads amid beautiful countryside. And what finer backdrop than Scotland with its wide open spaces, dramatic scenery, clean fresh air and mile upon mile of open road. Chart your own route or follow the 1300-mile National Cycle Network in Scotland which runs all the way from the Scottish Borders in the south to John O'Groats in the north, and from Berwick upon Tweed in the east to the Firth of Clyde in the west. Or browse through the 147 routes listed on the Cycling in Scotland website, complete with detailed maps and gradient profiles.

Particular highlights include a 10-mile circuit of Cumbrae (a picturesque isle in the Firth of Clyde), the towpaths of the Forth and Clyde canal connecting Glasgow and Edinburgh, crossing the cycletracks on either side of the Forth Road Bridge and, in the Highlands, the aptly-named Rest-And-Be-Thankful pass, more akin to an Alpine stage of the Tour de France.

Sedate, of course, isn't to everybody's taste. For those seeking an adrenaline rush, "Scotland is one of the hottest places to ride in the world" – so says the International Mountain Bicycling Association. And they should know! Voted the best downhill race for the last three years, the internationally recognised Fort William World Cup has also been chosen to host the 2007 UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships. Further south, the Glentress Forest Trail, near Peebles in the Scottish Borders, has been described as "the best dedicated mountain bike centre in Britain". For the enthusiastic cyclist, meanwhile, there are over 100 active clubs.

Cycling Scotland, sportscotland and Sustrans all provide good information about cycling via the internet: for these and other relevant links see below.

The cycling Hoy of fame

Having played such a fundamental role in the sport's development and with all these world-class facilities to hand, you'd expect Scotland to have produced some cycling greats. You wouldn't be disappointed.

Past Olympians include Jackie Bone, Billy Bilsland and Sarah Phillips. Recalling the French connection, Robert Millar from Glasgow rode for a French club for five years before becoming 'King of the Mountains' in 1984 (the only Briton to have won this gruelling challenge). And who can forget the former world pursuit champion, Graeme Obree, who pioneered the crouched (or tucked) position on his way to smashing the World Hour Record in 1993.

Following in their cycle tracks are the current generation of flying Scotsmen: Paul French (world champion downhill mountain-biking champion); Ross Edgar (bronze medallist at the Commonwealth Games in 2002), Craig MacLean and Ross Edgar (members of Great Britain's gold medal winning men's sprint team at the Manchester Track World Cup in 2005).

Perhaps the most celebrated name in Scottish cycling though is that of current Commonwealth and Olympic champion Chris Hoy. Scottish Sportsperson of the Year for the third successive year, Chris' medal haul already includes: Olympic gold and silver; Olympic kilo record; four World Championship gold, two silver and three bronze; Commonwealth gold and silver, and no less than 22 World Cup medals (13 gold). A keen cyclist since the age of seven when he first took up BMX, Chris still finds time to be an active Patron of the Braveheart Cycling Fund, which helps young Scottish riders to start out on their cycling careers.

Back to the future and what will the next couple of months hold for Chris Hoy and the rest of the 166-strong Scottish Commonwealth Games team. It would be great of course if Scotland could match its best performance – 33 medals in the 1986 Games held in Edinburgh – or the 30 medals it brought back from the last games, which took place in Manchester in 2002.

Whatever the outcome, you can rest assured that everyone back home, as well as Scots abroad and the large Scottish community in Melbourne will be cheering them on with pride.

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