Tag Archives: Cycling,

Interviews with Steve Peat & Mina-Leslie Wujastyk

John Horscroft and Steve Peat

Sheffield Live!’s series of cycling and climbing shows, Steel Fingers, Steel Wheels, today featured a bumper interview with mountain biking legend Steve Peat. Recorded earlier this month by interviewer John Horscroft and Jamie Veitch, the 27 minute interview includes in-depth and candid commentary from Steve.

Steve and John discuss:

– the history and roots of mountain biking
– competing at a high level
– Steve’s plans for the future
– training
– road biking
– the Sheffield scene
– Steve’s three top tips for aspiring riders
– and much more!

And Steve picked three tracks of music which we played between segments of the interview.

Mina in the studio

Today’s show also featured climber Mina-Leslie Wujastyk, excelling in the climbing discipline of bouldering. Mina has recently returned from a trip to South Africa during which she climbed 8 boulder problems graded 8A and one of 8A+ – a brilliant achievement from this Sheffield-based climber. Mina is also a member of the British Bouldering team, competing in the bouldering world cup events and this year came 2nd in the British Bouldering Championships.

Simon Lee of UKBouldering.com was a live studio guest today and explained the intricacies of bouldering and Jon Barton of Vertebrate Graphics featured within a pre-recorded interview too.

This was a bumper 90 minute edition of the show, so our podcasts (available for 3 months) are in 2 parts:

You can listen to the podcast of the first 60 minutes of the show here.

Approximate timings for the 1st hour of the show:

Intro / Simon Lee 0-12 mins; Mina interview 12-22 mins; Simon Lee 22-25 mins; Jon Barton interview 25-33 mins; Simon Lee wrap up 33-37 mins; Steve Peat interview – part one – 37-52 mins; interview with show sponsor, Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative 52-60 mins.

And you can listen to the podcast of part 2 of the show here (30 minutes total) – which includes Steve Peat’s chosen tracks of music and parts 2 and 3 of our interview with Steve.

Earlier episodes of this series have featured interviews with climber Lucy Creamer, alpinist, big wall climber and author Andy Kirkpatrick, a diverse range of cyclists, and representatives from Awesome Walls, UKClimbing.com, Ride Sheffield, CycleBoost Sheffield, Pedal Ready & more.

The series was sponsored by Awesome Walls Sheffield and the Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative.

Interviews with Steve Peat & Mina-Leslie Wujastyk

John Horscroft and Steve Peat

Sheffield Live!’s series of cycling and climbing shows, Steel Fingers, Steel Wheels, today featured a bumper interview with mountain biking legend Steve Peat. Recorded earlier this month by interviewer John Horscroft and Jamie Veitch, the 27 minute interview includes in-depth and candid commentary from Steve.

Steve and John discuss:

– the history and roots of mountain biking
– competing at a high level
– Steve’s plans for the future
– training
– road biking
– the Sheffield scene
– Steve’s three top tips for aspiring riders
– and much more!

And Steve picked three tracks of music which we played between segments of the interview.

Mina in the studio

Today’s show also featured climber Mina-Leslie Wujastyk, excelling in the climbing discipline of bouldering. Mina has recently returned from a trip to South Africa during which she climbed 8 boulder problems graded 8A and one of 8A+ – a brilliant achievement from this Sheffield-based climber. Mina is also a member of the British Bouldering team, competing in the bouldering world cup events and this year came 2nd in the British Bouldering Championships.

Simon Lee of UKBouldering.com was a live studio guest today and explained the intricacies of bouldering and Jon Barton of Vertebrate Graphics featured within a pre-recorded interview too.

This was a bumper 90 minute edition of the show, so our podcasts (available for 2 months) are in 2 parts:

You can listen to the podcast [available for 60 days from today] of the first 60 minutes of the show here.

Approximate timings for the 1st hour of the show:

Intro / Simon Lee 0-12 mins; Mina interview 12-22 mins; Simon Lee 22-25 mins; Jon Barton interview 25-33 mins; Simon Lee wrap up 33-37 mins; Steve Peat interview – part one – 37-52 mins; interview with show sponsor, Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative 52-60 mins.

And you can listen to the podcast [available for 60 days from today] of part 2 of the show here (30 minutes total) – which includes Steve Peat’s chosen tracks of music and parts 2 and 3 of our interview with Steve.

Earlier episodes of this series have featured interviews with climber Lucy Creamer, alpinist, big wall climber and author Andy Kirkpatrick, a diverse range of cyclists, and representatives from Awesome Walls, UKClimbing.com, Ride Sheffield, CycleBoost Sheffield, Pedal Ready & more.

The series was sponsored by Awesome Walls Sheffield and the Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative.

All about cycling in Sheffield – and beyond

Today’s episode of new show, Steel Fingers, Steel Wheels, covered cycling in Sheffield – for transport and for fun. Listen to and/or download the podcast of the show here.

Cycling has doubled in Sheffield since 2001 – and this rise has been accompanied by a reduction in the likelihood of an individual cyclist having a road collision. It offers significant wellbeing benefits to individuals, saves money, and benefits employers if staff cycle to work.

There’s now alot of support available to individuals and to businesses, and today’s show included interviews with:

  • Bob, Mark, Colin, Paul, Pete and Melissa from Symmetry Medical with CycleBoost's David Bocking

    Bob, Mark, Colin, Paul, Pete and Melissa from Symmetry Medical with David Bocking

    six workers from Hillsborough-based Symmetry Medical who are enjoying many benefits of cycling to work thanks to the company’s involvement with Sheffield CycleBoost.

  • David Bocking of CycleBoost talking about the scheme, a three-part support service for residents and employees in Sheffield. Services include bike-loan programmes, bike doctor sessions, maintenance classes and cycle skills training.
  • Pauline, Jan, Betty-Ann, and Shirley, all enjoying cycling throughout Sheffield, the Peak District and further afield thanks to attending courses run by Pedal Ready.
  • John Horscroft with Betty-Ann, Jan, Pauline and Shirley in the Sheffield Live studio

    John Horscroft with Betty-Ann, Jan, Pauline and Shirley in the Sheffield Live studio

    Nick Brelsford of Pedal Ready on cycling training.

  • John Horscroft of Ride Sheffield, an advocacy group which helps mountain bikers and other organisations such as the wildlife trusts work together for the benefit of all. John joined presenter Jamie Veitch in the studio for the programme and discussed positive working relationships between mountain bikers and other organisations, new trails at Greno and elsewhere, and the value of cycling and outdoor pursuits to the Sheffield economy.
  • Bicycle mechanic Russell of Russell’s Bicycle Shed, offering a bike repair service at the station and at Parkwood Springs, on common repairs he undertakes – and about maintenance classes offered by Recycle Bikes.
  • Russell doing some bicycle maintenance in the station

    Russell doing some bicycle maintenance in the station

    Plus two competitions: listeners can win a bike, courtesy of show sponsor the Edinburgh bicycle Cooperative, or a family climbing day and month pass courtesy of sponsor Awesome Walls Sheffield.

  • Listen to and/or download the podcast of the show here.

Listen to new show, win a bike and a climbing outing

Sheffield is a hub for climbers, cyclists and mountain bikers, with fantastic opportunities to enjoy these sports in the nearby Peak district and great facilities in the city. And we are home to some of Britain’s – and the world’s – leading climbers and cyclists.

A new series of four programmes on Sheffield Live, Steel Fingers Steel Wheels, are broadcasting every Saturday at 10am in September.

Featuring interviews with inspirational figures from cycling and climbing, as well as ‘how-to’ features demonstrating how you can get involved in these exciting and healthy activities (at low cost), the shows also include two fabulous competitions:

How do you win?  See below!

Guests on the series include:

  • ‘Big wall’ climber Andy Kirkpatrick. Irreverent and extremely funny, Andy has accomplished extraordinary feats on Alpine faces and the soaring granite walls of El Capitan in Yosemite. Not only that, he’s won the Boardman Tasker prize for mountain literature. But it’s his journey from remedial student to successful climber, writer and speaker that interests his audience most. Brought up on a council estate in one of Britain’s flattest cities, Hull, Andy suffered from severe dyslexia which went undiagnosed until he was 19. Andy was a guest on the show on Saturday 7th September.
  • Remarkable all-round professional climber Lucy Creamer. Lucy has excelled in all disciplines of climbing: bold adventurous ‘traditional’ climbs; gymnastic ‘sports’ climbing, short but intensely powerful ‘bouldering’; mountain routes and ice climbing. She also repeatedly won British climbing competitions and qualified for world-cup climbing finals. She’s a keen mountain biker too between time on the rock. Lucy will be on the show on the 21st September.
  • Down Hill Mountain biking world champion Steve Peat – Peaty – 2009 UCI DH World Champion; 3x World Cup Champ; 2x European Champ and 9x British Champ. Chapeltown-born Peaty also organises the Steel City Down Hill race and is known as one of the nicest guys in mountain biking – but he’s also got that Sheffield Steel that’s made him a winner! Steve will be on the show on the 28th of September.
  • We’ll also feature interviews with the strong climber Mina Leslie-Wujastyk, making impressive ascents of boulder problems across the world (and a competitor in the British Bouldering Team); professional cyclist Dean Downing of Rotherham, fresh from competing in the Tour of Britain for Madison Genesis with an impressive track record of results in his professional career (both also in the show on 28th September).
  • And we’ll have guests from organisations working with and representing climbing and cycling; advice on how to get involved
  • And two fabulous competitions:
  • Win a bike: Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative is giving away a Revolution bike to the value of £350 to one lucky winner of this competition. To enter, all you have to do is email comp@sheffieldlive.org with your name and address and the answer to the following question: how many cooperative members are there in the Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative as of the 1st of September? Remember, that’s not shops, it’s members. Take a look at the Our advertisers page on the Sheffield Live website if you need a clue!
  • Win a family climbing taster day and a month’s free climbing pass from Awesome Walls when their new climbing wall opens in Sheffield at the end of the month.  To enter, all you have to do is email comp@sheffieldlive.org with your name and address and the answer to the following question: in which other locations in the UK does Awesome Walls operate climbing walls? Clue – take a look at their website.
  • For both competitions, you need to send your answer by 5pm on Friday 27th September and by entering you accept Sheffield Live’s standard competition entry terms and conditions. So get your entry in now!
  • Make sure you listen in – every Saturday in September, 10am on Sheffield Live! 93.2FM and livestream from this website
  • The Steel Fingers, Steel Wheels shows are sponsored by Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative and Awesome Walls Sheffield. Find out more about them and listen to their Sheffield Live radio ads here

Crowds treated to exciting finish for cycle race

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Cyclists take to the streets in the Claremont Sheffield Grand Prix. Image: velouk.net

Cyclists take to the streets in the Claremont Sheffield Grand Prix. Image: velouk.net

Sheffield played host to the “best professional cycle race in the country” after the Claremont Sheffield Grand Prix – a major professional cycling event – returned to the city centre on Wednesday night.

The free event saw the final round of the British Cycling Elite Circuit Race Series and also incorporated the Browns British Cycling Women’s National Road Race Series.

Rotherham’s Dean Downing, a professional cyclist with the Madison Genesis team, took the men’s title after a thrilling sprint finish, with Graham Briggs second. Third was British champion (and Dean’s brother), Russell Downing.

Dean Downing commented “I’m a bit stunned that I’ve won…I’ve dreamed of winning the Sheffield Grand Prix since being 14 or 15…to win here in front of my family and friends is a great honour.” Listen to Dean, here:

Kona's Helen Wyman (Image: Andy Jones)

Kona's Helen Wyman (Image: Andy Jones)

In the women’s race, Helen Wyman, Kona won by 17 seconds after breaking free from the peloton in the closing stages. Newly crowned national Circuit Race champion, Hannah Barnes, MG Maxifuel won the bunch sprint for second with Eileen Roe claiming third for her Breast Cancer Care team.

The race took place on a fast 1.4 kilometre city centre circuit, featuring tight corners and a cobbled climb up Norfolk street.

Claremont Hospital Director Andy Davey said, “We were thrilled to lend our support once again as the city played host to world class cycling for the watching public.

“We have treated Dean at Claremont previously when he broke his collar bone and he was back on his cycle within weeks.

“So it was great to see him back at peak fitness and demonstrating that strength of determination and spirit – not to mention for a local lad to take the title at this fantastic event.”

The Claremont Sheffield Grand Prix is run by the organisational team of Sheffrec Cycling Club headed by Marc Etches and Mark Barry and was supported by other local organisations including Sheffield City Council; Harrison Cameras; Browns Bar and Brasserie; Bickerton Skoda and Bikebox.

Event organiser Marc Etches said: “This event is now regarded as the best professional cycle race in the country – and after this week’s event it’s not hard to see why!”

Marc told Sheffield Live, “I was blown away by the support from the people of Sheffield who came to cheer on the competitors – it makes the months of hard work beforehand so worthwhile.”