The Weekly Rider - Sarah Grove
Sarah Grove is the La Velocita Weekly Rider! Finding a love of cycling in the world of triathlon, Sarah is now breaking into the cycling racing scene and can be found going for it on one of her several LIVGiant speed machines...
Crit races, road races or out training in the awesome Dandenong ranges, one thing that is clear, is that Sarah loves to ride!
Report: Aaron Mulkearns
Name: Sarah Grove (also known as Pocket Rocket!)
Lives: Essendon - Melbourne
Dream Bike: I believe I am lucky enough to be on my dream bike (or bikes – 5 and counting!). The latest addition to the bike collection is my GIANT Envie Pro, equipped with Dura-Ace Di2. Its first race was a Crit win, so I must be on a winner!
I’m tiny compared to the general population (just 157cm) so finding bikes that suit my small light frame can be hard. The LIVGiant women specific bikes are perfect for me, giving me a perfect fit and perfect ride! My GIANT Envie Pro is just a dream to ride, light, fast and responsive – and if world champion Marion Goss rides one, then it must be good!
Favourite Local Ride: My favourite rides are more about the people I ride them with rather than the locations themselves. I have such a great mix of cyclists and triathletes to ride with, that every ride is a joy for me!
But in saying that, in Melbourne, you can't go past discovering the array of climbs in the Dandenongs, I could get lost on these climbs for hours! Closer to home, the sparse open roads and climbing at Mount Macedon are also amazing – not to mention the decent! If I had the choice of hills or flat, I’d always choose hills!
Cycling goal: Well, I never normally share my goals with the world, but in this case I’ll share part of my goals – some I have to keep to myself! ;)
I’m a triathlete (don’t hold that against me!) but my goal is to combine my love and passion for triathlon and cycling together. I started B Grade crit racing this year and have snuck in a couple of podium finishes already.
My aim is to build the confidence and skill to move to A Grade next season. Over winter, I want to tackle Road Racing – (which will form part of my triathlon base training) and I have some big goals there which I’ll keep to myself for now! ;)
When I am on the bike I: Smile. Always! Even when I’m hurting, or grimacing on the outside, I’ll always be smiling on the inside. I have such a love for cycling that I just can’t help it.
Cycling takes me to a place that I find hard to explain to others unless you feel it yourself. I often say to people, I’d ride my bike every day if I could! (And some weeks I do!)
How did your love for bikes come about… I have always been a ‘sporty’ girl. Playing netball, basketball and running. An injury brought me to triathlon 7 years ago but cycling quickly became my passion out of the three sports.
The first ‘long ride’ I did was 35km and I was totally spent. I had to go home and sleep! But my drive to succeed and get the most out my body meant that I had just triggered something though and my love of cycling grew. I knew I wanted to improve on the bike and ‘ride with the big boys’.
So I made it my mission to work as hard as I could to do so. I remember a ride we used to do to Kinglake and half way through the ride up a sharp climb I’d ALWAYS get dropped by the guys. I’d then have to suffer through the rest of the ride by myself. But I didn’t let that discourage me, and two years later I was hanging onto those boys! And 7 years later I’m still in love! (with bikes that is)
Share a cycling memory: Cycling has given me so many amazing memories and experiences that it’s hard to share just one. In saying that, the most amazing place that I have ridden hands down, is Lake Tahoe USA.
This place is simply magical. It’s a Ski Resort during winter, and in summer comes alive with cyclists, triathletes and adventurers. It sits 1,800m above sea level which makes climbing tough, but the views at the top are simply breathtaking. The surrounding wide open roads provide hours and hours of road to simply get lost in its beauty.
I would go back to this place in a heartbeat and recommend anyone to visit there (with a bike of course) if ever in California. Just telling you guys about it makes me want to book a trip back there!
I love to ride because: I love the challenge and freedom of cycling and the people it attracts. I love the banter, the hurt, the joy, the smiles, the friendships, the pain and everything else in between.
I simply love the feeling of being on a bike and knowing that cycling can take you anywhere in the world! It doesn’t matter how fit you are, how old your bike is, you can simply get on and ride anywhere you like. Cycling has shown me so much of the country (and the world!) that I would never have seen if I wasn’t on a bike. And that’s what I’ll always love.
