Cycling In Listowel

Joan Flavin Kerry Crusaders Cycling Club

We are a cycling club based in North Kerry, with members from Listowel to Tarbert, Ballylongford to Ballyduff and many places in between. We have members of all ages and abilities and are always looking to have new people join up.

It’s all about getting active, improving our physique and health and getting to have lots of craic with new friends as the cycling club is just as much a social occasion as a fitness regime. It provides many with a preferable option to running. “Running can be hard on the joints and  cycling is far less impactful.

We would love to see new members all the time and it doesn’t matter what level you’re at, we all started as beginners.

Each year we take part in many different sportives, many of which raise a lot of badly needed funds for charities. Many of our members cycle the Ring of Kerry every July and have helped raise money for local charities, Áras Mhuire, Ard Churam, Kerry Hospice among others.

There is a wonderful feeling of completing these cycles but an even better feeling of knowing how much you have helped your charity financially to continue their fabulous work.

We have also organised our own sportives over the years. Unfortunately as a club we have also suffered some sad occasions over the years and have come together for 2 and 3 day cycles , again raising much needed funds for our own club members. We have cycled to and from Bantry in Co Cork, Doolin in Co Clare over the years, cycled 2 days through a beautiful but hilly West Cork and some members cycled Malin Head to Mized Head over 3 days!!

Our club have become like an extended family, life long friendships have been made between people who might otherwise never have met, helped by a few ‘scone runs’ organised by the club where the  the club organises coffee and scones at a dedicated stop midway through a relatively short club spin and also the odd night out on the town.

It is also a fantastic way of seeing our beautiful countryside, places and views you just would not see while driving. We have some overseas members from Canada and the UK who join us every time they are in the locality for visits home  We meet up on Tues and Thurs evenings at 7pm in Listowel Community Centre and 8am on Sat mornings for a club spin. These spins are a great way of getting to know people, they always start with a slow controlled cycle to suit all abilities and you will always come away with a few really helpful tips from the more seasoned cyclists who want you to improve your fitness and ability.