The Personal Cyclist of Harrogate getting adults on their bikes around North Yorkshire

"That was the start really thinking not only is this is a great town to be active in,” she says. “I didn't really see, growing up, women cycling. It just wasn't a thing. Now, interestingly, my clients aren't just women, but I looked around and thought there's lots going on but it tends to be big groups of guys. The idea of making biking in all its forms really joyful and fun, and something that can be learned as an adult, really appealed to me.”

Kate, 45, of Harrogate, set up as The Personal Cyclist in autumn 2021 and works with individuals, large groups and businesses.

Her ‘Signature Experience’ includes a consultation, eight hours of private, personalised coaching, a mix of closed road, quiet cycle paths and guided road rides, finishing with a bespoke ride based on a client’s interests and ability, with a hand-picked coffee and cake stop along the way.

“From an environmental perspective, it sits well with my values,” says Kate. “Getting out of the car and seeing the world around you. For me, biking ticks so many boxes because it allows you to do lots of jobs: you can ride your bike to work and (get) some exercise as well as swerving the traffic as well as not burning a load of fossil fuel. And it's cost-efficient. Working in a job where I can help the environment, help other people boost their confidence in their body and and help people learn a new skill, it's a privilege.”

Originally from the south, Kate studied Communications and English at the University of Leeds but afterwards moved to London to work as a BBC Radio 1 broadcasting assistant and later in corporate communications roles. However, she got a job with the London 2012 Olympics, but based in Yorkshire, and has been in the region since. As well as the Grand Départ, taking part in the Great Knaresborough Bed Race in 2015 also inspired her, but she wanted to pursue something gentler.

She says: "I want to do something to help other people swerve the steep learning curve that I went through in terms of getting on the bike. And when I say getting on the bike, for me cycling is about it's a lifestyle. It's not about racing and it's not about always being in the Lycra. It's about all the different ways you might want to get on two wheels. Some people come to me and they want to commute, they want to start using the car. Some people want to go from not having rode a bike for years to riding with their family. Others just want to go fast.”

She adds: "What I find really exciting, coming out of lockdown, is that most people who come to me have got a sense of adventure in them and lockdown has said to them, we want to get outside in the fresh air, we want to do something that challenges us, we want to learn a new skill and there is that appetite there to gently push people outside of their comfort zones.

"And in some of the conversations I have with corporate organisations, for example, for businesses you might have a couple of people at the top of an organisation who are keen cyclists and what I offer is a chance for all the people in that organisation to come to cycling in their own way. And hat can look very different to different individuals. I do think now that there is the appetite to try new things, to help the environment and to save money – all of which cycling can do.”

This spring, mother-of-two Kate will start offering a cycling concierge service at Grantley Hall hotel in Ripon, getting tourists on bikes too.

She says: “We’re in one of the best parts of the world to ride a bike. Being in Harrogate, we have fantastic cycling heritage. And we've had some fantastic cycling events come through Harrogate, and I just felt like it's a really active place to start a business. I've experienced the trials and tribulations of getting into biking and to be able to help others boost their confidence, show off this beautiful part of the world to visitors, which I now take for granted, is a total pleasure.”

For more information, visit www.thepersonalcyclist.com