{"id":295765,"date":"2025-12-02T23:58:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T23:58:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/295765\/"},"modified":"2025-12-02T23:58:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T23:58:10","slug":"hes-actually-fairly-good-meet-the-influencer-finding-unexpected-joy-in-teaching-her-dad-how-to-cycle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/295765\/","title":{"rendered":"‘He’s actually fairly good’ – meet the influencer finding unexpected joy in teaching her dad how to cycle"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWe\u2019re about to witness some living, breathing proof that it\u2019s never too late to start a new hobby,\u201d Laura Kirkpatrick (aka \u2018@Lauradoessports<\/a>\u2019) says over the top of a video of her dad posing next to his second hand Rapide RC3. They\u2019re about to set out on their first-ever father-daughter bike trip – 15km to the coffee shop.<\/p>\n

Kirkpatrick’s dad, Peter, is 56 and dressed in an oversized red bomber jacket and navy-blue jogging bottoms. Laura rides next to him, wearing an ensemble of high-end cycling kit.<\/a> This is the first episode of her new series where she teaches her dad how to ride a bike.<\/p>\n

Laura <\/a><\/p>\n

A photo posted by on <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Now, Peter could already technically ride a bike, but he was yet to be indoctrinated into the world of the MAMIL<\/a> – albeit, via his very trendy 25-year-old daughter, Laura. \u201cHe\u2019s actually fairly good. Not my cycling ability, but for a beginner, he\u2019s pretty solid to be fair,\u201d Laura tells Cycling Weekly.<\/p>\n

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The first lessons Laura taught her dad were strictly practical: this is a cassette<\/a>, this is how you change gears and how to fix a puncture<\/a>. \u201cThe thing we haven’t really got to yet is the cleats<\/a>,” she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think part of it is cycling on the roads, because – more so my mum, but definitely a bit my dad – they’re very scared of cycling on the roads<\/a>, and try to avoid it at all costs.\u201d They\u2019ve been practising hand signals<\/a> and bike balance, but have mainly just been spending time getting out and comfortable on the roads.<\/p>\n

But Laura was on another mission, too. Earlier this year, a video announcing she was dropping her nine-to-five to build a life more aligned to her passions, went viral. From there, brand partnerships started trickling in, then flooding in. Finding herself back home in Newcastle, living with a dad primed and ready to get cycling – and in desperate need of some new kit – the series began.<\/p>\n

Episode two features Peter in some new SYN garb, arms protected in layers of bubble wrap as he learns how to clip and unclip.<\/a><\/p>\n

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\u201cI think the next step is a longer ride, with a lot of caf\u00e9 stops, <\/a>see how he gets on, and I’m also gonna give him my old Garmin so he can see how to use routes,” she explains.<\/p>\n

Laura<\/a><\/p>\n

A photo posted by on <\/p>\n

Every time Laura shares a new skill with her dad, their traditional roles are switched. It is, for both father and daughter, an unexpected joy, and an exchange Peter has nicknamed a \u201chand me up\u201d. \u201cInstead of \u2018hand me downs\u2019, \u2018hand me ups\u2019 was a thing that he and his friends would use for when your kids, give you stuff,” Laura adds. “It’s felt really nice being able to give him kit and teach him how to do something new. It feels really special.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s so nice to like, connect over a new hobby, because I think sometimes, with my parents, I find we don’t have that much in common when it comes to the things we do. When we were younger, we’d go for walks, or maybe we’d occasionally go out for dinner or to a cinema or something. But there wasn’t necessarily a shared hobby.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Laura teaches her dad how to cycle, she\u2019s learning new things about the sport – and herself – too.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think maybe just how much there is to know, or just how some things are really not obvious,” she says. “I think Instagram does a very good job of inspiring people to ride their bikes<\/a>, but I don’t see a lot of practical, useful advice. I didn’t realise that I had to change my chain every so often, and then when I turned up to a race my Ironman, they were like, when was the last time you changed a chain?<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I think that’s probably the biggest thing that it’s taught me, is just being patient.\u201d<\/p>\n

I ask Laura what tips she\u2019d give people to get their loved ones into cycling. Her advice is simple: pick a straightforward bike – a hybrid <\/a>that can do most things, \u201cprobably aluminium<\/a>“, but most importantly \u201ca bike you will feel comfortable on.\u201d Then, find a community<\/a> that can help make road cycling less scary. Oh, and follow along to her series as she continues to teach her dad, Peter, how to ride – and the next episode drops on Monday.<\/p>\n