Bateman’s Bicycle Company celebrated a milestone when its 2018 racing team reached 75 members. This year’s team includes 25 new and 50 returning racers.

The 10-year-old bike shop, which has three locations in the Annex, founded its cycling team in 2012 with one member. Now in its sixth year, the team has cyclists from as young as eight years to over 60 years of age from the community.

“We wanted to have a group of like-minded individuals that could go out and compete with one another, inspire each other to become better bike riders and athletes,” said Robert Bateman, the company’s president.

Team Bateman will compete in weekly local races and in competitions sponsored by the Ontario Cycling Association, riding mountain, road, and cycle cross bikes with the help of Bateman’s shop and technicians.

“I have had a lot of really, really good help,” said Bateman about running the team. “I have had a lot of ambassadors on the team step up and do a lot for the team. It’s not a one-man operation, it is everyone working together to run the team.”

Bateman would like the team to become diverse by having more young and female cyclists join and be able to take part in more provincial and national competitions in the future. Cyclists interested in joining can contact the team at info@batemansbikeco.com.

—Ahmed Hagar, Gleaner News

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