GENERAL NEWS: Cube NuRoad gravel bike competition winner
Posted By Gravel Union
On 7 September 2020
Last week Olly from the Gravel Union’s UK office met up with the latest Gravel Union gravel bike competition winner to hand over her prize. We chatted with Sophie about her win and what it meant to her.
Olly – Can you tell us a little about yourself?
Sophie – I’m based in the north-east of England and work as a sports physiotherapist. My background is as a trail runner. A few years ago, I bought a cheap second hand road bike from a charity shop and got hooked on cycling! At the minute, I ride mainly on the road and have also ridden some of the local MTB trails. I recently completed my first 100 mile (160kms) road ride, which I was really pleased about. In the past I’ve competed in triathlons, but wanted to work on my cycling to build up my expertise, so was looking for a new bike – the timing of the prize win was perfect!
Olly – What do you love about cycling and in particular riding away from the road?
Sophie – I’m addicted to sport and the outdoor life. My Dad and my partner are both keen cyclists, so their love of it has obviously rubbed off on me. The thing I love best about riding away from the road is being out in the wild.
Olly – Have you ridden a gravel bike before?
Sophie – No, this will be my first time. It looks brilliant though and I can’t wait to get out and ride it.
Olly - what are you looking forward to doing with your new Cuba gravel bike?
Sophie – I can’t wait to go exploring and have some adventures. I really love trying new trails, so want to see where my new bike takes me.
Sophie being presented with her winning bike by Peter from Infinity Cycles in Durham.
Olly – what do you think about your Cube NuRoad GRX gravel bike?
Sophie – I love the look of it – the colour scheme and the matt paintwork are great. I’m going to buy some orange bottle cages to go with it and to finish off the look.
Olly – From your perspective as a sports physio, is there any advice you could give gravel riders which would help them get more out of their ride?
Sophie – cyclists quite often have poor flexibility and this can lead to knee and back pain. Working on getting better flexibility in their quads (thigh muscles) and hip area would be a great idea. There are some simple stretch suggestions here. I would recommend working on core strength too – something simple like a plank would be a good idea.
Olly – Do you have any advice for women who are interested in getting into cycling/gravel riding?
Sophie – Start off with short rides – don’t pressurise yourself too much – even if you 30 minutes and then build up from there, that’s better than making it too tough at the start. Most importantly, make sure it’s fun!