When it comes to cycling, Ottery St Mary stands out as a unique and beloved destination for enthusiasts. Its cycling club, with many of the old Ottery family names mentioned in the Western Times in 1908, is a testament to the town's rich cycling history.

Its charm has been recognised nationally, having hosted the prestigious Tour of Britain twice in two consecutive years. Chineway Hill was featured as the first King of the Mountain of stages 2 and 3 of the Tour of Britain in 2016 and 2018. The King & Queen of the Mountain competition on Chineway has been going on for three years. The Bike Fest at the Land of Canaan, where our youngsters competed for a medal and took part in a demonstration from Speedway in Exeter, and the Primary School Mini-hill climb, where pupils compete for the John Campion trophy, are just a few examples of our vibrant cycling culture.

Ottery goes above and beyond catering for cyclists. With its numerous cafes, pubs, and restaurants, the town is ready to satisfy the cyclist's staple diet of coffee and cake. Whether you're competing, spectating, or simply exploring on your bike, you can always find a place to relax and enjoy the unique experience that Ottery has to offer.

And experience comes from one of our most popular cycling personalities, Dave Stevens. You may have wondered about my connection with Dave, as I often mention him in my editorials. He can find information and his cycling skills. Cycling runs in Dave's family. His uncle, better known in the cycling world as "Reuben," founded the 1st Chard Wheelers. Dave and his uncle were among the three Exeter Wheeler C.C. members who rode the 600km Audax event across Wales.

Among many achievements, Dave was the Audax UK Champion in 1998. He rode the London Edinburg London, a 1400km event twice; the Crackpot, a 1000km ride once; many 600, 400, 300, 200, and 100 km rides and in 2000, a 500 km event that, according to him, was "fun". His list of events includes a few time trials at every distance from 10 miles to 24-hour events and the Anglesey and Back 1989 Audax, a 600km event. Dave did cyclo-cross for a few years and is still a member of the Exeter Wheelers Cycling Club, Audax UK, what used to be the cycle Touring Club.

Dave always seems to remember his competing years with fun and pointed out that when he was doing a lot of cycling, there happened to be a lot of "Daves", all from different clubs and different parts of the country riding events week in week out, so they became known as Daves C.C. He also remembers the Tour of Kernow as a very tough ride. Still, they were the first three riders to complete the course in the time limit. To their surprise, later on, they found out that this 400km ride was, in fact, 450km.

Dave's schoolmate Richard Harding, also from Ottery, became the 1999 Audax UK AAA champion, a year-long hill climbing event with points awarded based on the number of feet climbed during events. A story about Richard made the headlines in the cycling world. About the time he had driven up to Tongwynlais, a village just north of Cardiff in Wales, ridden his bike to gain points towards the AAA championship, returned to his car, packed everything up and got ready to drive back to Ottery, he discovered that someone had stolen his steering wheel, while he had been off riding his bike.

David's photographs riding up the 'long Mynd,' a challenging ascent known for its steep gradients, and the Kidderminster Killer Audax, a gruelling 200 km cycling event, capture the determination and strength required to conquer such a feat. Also shown are some of his Audax medals, given to riders who finish within the time limit, serving as a testament to his endurance and skill.