This year marks the 40th birthday of Loudoun Road Club and to celebrate, the club is undergoing a revamp, firstly by acknowledging its members from areas such as Cumnock and Mauchline.

The cycling club, which started life in the Irvine Valley, has a long and proud tradition of cycling and boasts the membership of former hour record holder and track world champion Graeme Obree.

As part of its anniversary, the club has made moves to acknowledge its wider geographic catchment with members from across Ayrshire including Mauchline, Cumnock, Fenwick, Kilmarnock, Strathaven and beyond.

The club also wants to become more inclusive. While having an excellent tradition of road racing and time trialling and more recently riders taking on the mucky fields of the cyclocross circuit, Loudoun is enhancing its rides with social rides for all abilities, men and women and on road and off road which will encourage and take advantage of the recent boom in cycling numbers.

Cumnock Chronicle:

Loudoun is a proud club and to ensure it has another 40 years it is aiming to encourage all cycling, continue to run its racing calendar, develop skills and confidence of its members, run social events for members to get to know each other off the bike and to provide an outlet for all those who love and want to be involved in cycling.

On Saturday, September 19 the club is holding an open, social ride for beginners or those who would like to join the club.

Running from Mauchline, the ride will take a social pace and route to Boswell House for coffee and cake. If anyone is interested in joining the ride they can find out more information at the club’s Facebook page or by heading to https://linktr.ee/loudounroadclub

A club spokesperson said: “This will be the first of many rides which will hopefully see the red, white and black jerseys of the Loudoun on Ayrshire’s roads for at least the next 40 years.”