With the UK going cycling crazy right now I wanted to interview cyclists of all levels. From those just starting out to seasoned competitive cyclists. First in line is North Wales cyclist, Layla, who rides road, cyclocross and XC mountain biking.

When did you start cycling?

Layla – I started riding a bike when I was around 4/5 years old and started racing the local cyclocross league with my dad and sister when I was 6 or seven (we can’t really remember) 😂

You regularly compete in cycling, so what’s your favourite discipline?

Layla – My favourite discipline to race is mountain biking, mainly because I think it looks cool but I also love the atmosphere at the national races when you get to see the elites like Evie Richards and Tom Pidcock. The courses are starting to get more technical with jumps, skinny’s and drops being added to the mix of fast single track and long fire road climbs, which suits my riding style more.

Any memories from racing stand-out for you?

Layla – My favourite racing memory was when I was Welsh champion in XC mountain biking as I’d had a good cyclocross and mountain bike season before.

Are there any memories just from cycling in general?

Layla – My favourite cycling memory is probably when I got the chance to be a mascot for what was then Team Sky during the 2016 Tour of Britain. I got to meet all the pros racing, have a Tour of the team bus and see everyone on the sign on stage!

To anyone out there who is thinking of starting cycling, what would you say?

Layla – To anyone who wants to get started in racing or just cycling, I say that you shouldn’t worry if you’re not the best in the group because if you keep going you never know, you might be a World Champion!

I loved hearing about how Layla got into cycling as it wasn’t too dissimilar to how I started. When racing can start again, I’m looking forward to seeing what results she gets! Want to be the next cyclist to share their story? Just drop me a message!

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