ONE of Swindon’s least known clubs is seeking new members who would like to get fit and possibly compete in races at the same time.

Swindon Cycle Speedway Club meets on an outdoors dirt track behind the Oasis Leisure Centre every Wednesday and competes in national and regional competitions.

Cycle speedway is an exhilarating form of bicycle racing which sees riders compete on specialised bikes without brakes or multiple gears.

The club has doubled its membership to about 14 in the last few months following a concerted effort to boost numbers, but it is still appealing for more members.

Anna Cipullo, CTC cycling officer for Swindon Council, who is helping to promote the club, said: “It’s something you can quickly develop in and it gives you a lot of satisfaction.

“Children get into that great competitive element. They can be supervised by their parents because it’s only four laps and parents get to watch their kids progress.

“And for adults, men and women alike, there’s the competitive side and you get to be part of something together.

“It’s really good for your fitness. It really gets your heart racing.

“You are supposed to be getting your heart pumping at least once a day and it helps towards that.”

The club, run by a committee of volunteers, meets on Wednesdays between 5pm and 7pm.

Under 16s and beginners of any age meet between 5pm and 6pm, and adults meet between 6pm and 7pm.

Newcomers would typically have the chance to try out the specialised bikes and would be shown how to ride around the track, before being given the chance to complete a timed lap.

People could then decide whether or not they want to take part in a small race.

The 14 members are aged from a11 to 46.

Anna and club organisers have been trying to boost the numbers through open re-launch events and other activities.

Daniel Harper, club secretary and team manager, said: “We have pretty much doubled our membership.

“At the start of the season we were struggling, we were going to pull out of the league because we didn’t have the numbers.

“We are still nowhere near where we want to be but things are going in the right direction.

“We are in the process of organising events to try to promote the sport and increase membership.”

For more information on the club, email swindoncycle speedway@yahoo.co.uk