News & Features

NOT many people can boast a long, active and successful cycling life like Mike Westmorland, who turns 80 on November 3!

The Penrith-based rider, still competing for Border City Wheelers, completed 14 open time trials this last season and has no plans to slow down.

With a whopping 488 events listed on his CTT profile, few riders will surpass his growing total with hundreds more pre-dating the CTT archives.

Westmorland joined Border City Wheelers in 1958 when he was just 14, and has held just about every position within the club – chairman, treasurer and secretary – and has also sat on the National CTT Board and the North District too.

He grew up in Rockcliffe and always had an adventurous spirit, according to his daughter Carol, who said: “He was somewhat adopted by the club Border City Wheelers, and he had some great days on club runs – there are many stories to be told!”

His membership of the Border City Wheelers turned into a life-long affair, and he still holds the club’s 100-mile junior record from 1962 as well as the club’s veterans standard 100-mile record, set 59 years later in 2021.

In fact 2021 was a good one for Westmorland, who broke VTTA age records over 25, 30 and 50 miles while a spring chicken at 76 years old.

“He met our mum at a Border City Wheelers presentation night,” added Carol, who won the women’s National 24-Hour Championship in 2006.  We would not exist if it wasn’t for Border City Wheelers!

“On a personal level he nurtured my love for cycling without being pushy. In fact his lack of belief in my abilities made my 24-Hour Championship win possible because I was so determined to prove him wrong.

“I still have the note he wrote after my win in which he says “he had never been so wrong about anything in his life”. Priceless.”

Mike has continued to post impressive times well into old age, with his lifetime personal best over 100 miles being set in 2009 when he was 63.

And with the 2025 season just around the corner, it will be interesting to see what he can achieve over the next 12 months!

Another evergreen rider is 73-year-old Clayton Velo member Pete Greenwood, who also set ag age related record over 25 miles on the same day as Westmorland back in 2021.

He said: “I have come to know Mike`s training regime since joining Strava in the last three years. His road training is incredible for an 80-year-old. He`s an old school mile eater. I`m sure if he hadn`t confined himself to the slower northern courses he would be an age record breaker.”

And Lee Foster, who also rides for the Border City Wheelers and is something of a youngster at 75, added: “I came to cycling quite late, joining Border City Wheelers around 1988 as a keen but raw, naïve cycling.

“Mike took me under his wing and soon became an inspiration to me with his knowledge, ability, focus, determination and drive.

“He is still competitive in any time trial he does, and still strives to win trophies and beat age related records. I know he will be tuned in to break some 80-year-old veterans records next season!”

Another team-mate who has learned much from Mike Westmorland is Dougi Hall, who first met him at a club 10 in September 2000.

“It was my first time trial and Mike was in charge of signing on,” explained Hall. “Mike being Mike said I was too late to sign on and I couldn’t ride. I went home, trained all winter and hit the next season hard.

“From then on myself and Mike have been very good friends and rivals, even doing the 12-hour together that first season. Even this summer Mike beat me on Levens by two seconds!

“We’ve had a lot of fun and banter over the years, I have full respect for all his achievements and he is an inspiration to cycling in every respect.

“He has many lifelong friends in Border City Wheelers, to which he has been a devoted member since around 1960.”

* All features and reports are copyright of Cycling Time Trials/Snowdon Sports. Not to be used without permission.