The Weekly Rider - Katie Quinn

Katie Quinn is the Weekly Rider! A recent recruit into Ambulance Victoria’s Bicycle Response Unit and member of SKCC, she's hooked on all that riding brings, friends, challenge, travel and exercise.

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For the month of November the La Velocita Weekly Rider is presented by Irwin Cycling Oceania.

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Words - Katie Quinn    Images - Photokinetic Photography

Name: Katie Quinn

Lives: Inner Melbourne

Dream bike: S-Works Amira SL4 with Di2 and Black Inc carbon wheels

Favorite local ride: “The Other Beach Road” is my favourite place to go for a spin. This ride tracks down to Williamstown and along the wide designated bike lanes of Kororoit Creek Road, past the industrial wastelands and ends up under the huge pine trees that line the roads of Altona Beach.

It’s a combination of swamps, oil refineries, grand old homes, city views, shipping yards, parks and historic buildings. If variety is the spice of life, this ride is red hot curry.

My current cycling goal is... to be the fastest up the Afton Street Hill in Aberfeldie. This one kills me on my commute to Air Ambulance, and while it’s only 300 meters or so it really gets your blood pumping with one little hump before it shoots up at around 20% (or at least it seems that steep). Cars avoid this hill, no one parks on it, and only the craziest cyclists head here for repeats.

When I am on the bike I... spend a lot of time talking. It’s usually a debrief or therapy session with my mates. Work can get a bit stressful at times, and shiftwork is a killer. The main upside is that it allows me to go for long, rambling rides while everyone else it tackling the daily grind.

How did your love for bikes come about? While I’ve always had a bike I only really started to love cycling about a year ago. I purchased my Specialized Amira prior to the Great Vic Bike Ride and all of a sudden I found riding to be comfortable, enjoyable and so much easier.

I met a lady on the Great Vic Bike Ride from St Kilda Cycling Club who suggested coming along to a bunch ride. I fell in love with the people and the atmosphere of SKCC and felt at home being around like-minded, motivated weirdos in their lycra, that don’t mind setting a 4.30am alarm. I’ve had a taste of track, crit races, mountain biking and I’m loving the group rides... it’s fair to say I’m hooked.

Share a cycling memory: We were on the Women’s 100 ride this year, a global event where women all over the world get on their bikes and ride 100km on the same day. We were wearing our matching Jaggad jerseys and were full of beans.

Well we were pushed all the way down to Mt Eliza with 50km/hr winds, and coming back was an absolute nightmare. It also happened to be the morning after the SKCC Tour de France party, and on return I just didn’t think I was going to make it. After pulling into the servo for a king sized sausage roll, we battled back into the head wind from hell, all the sisters working together to roll turns, no one was left behind. The solidarity on the road was amazing.

I love to ride because... it's for so many reasons; the freedom, the exercise, the scenery, the fashion, the personalities but most of all the friendships. There are so many opportunities for cyclists around Melbourne with a wide range of trails, bike lanes, safe roads and varying terrain, which manages to (almost) make up for the unpredictable weather.

I’ve been fortunate enough incorporate riding with work by representing Ambulance Victoria in the cycling events for the Emergency Services Games, and as a recent recruit to Ambulance Victoria’s Bicycle Response Unit. 

La Velocita.

The Weekly Rider