Herne Hill hosts cycle speed-dating this Valentine’s day

Cupid will take to his bike this St Valentine's day at Herne Hill Velodrome’s cycle speed-dating night.

The February 14 event is open to 30 single cyclists who fancy mixing their search for love with their love of cycling. If you think you could find love on the track, bookings must be made in advance through Rider HQ and admission is £15.

The night will go a lot like any other speed dating session. Two cyclists will be paired up and given a brief window of opportunity to get to know each other.

Many speed-dating experiences are reported to be four minutes of excruciating awkwardness, especially when there's a mismatch in personalities or interests. Fortunately, common ground shouldn’t be a sticking point for the Herne Hill speed-daters: a shared interest in cycling should be the perfect ice-breaker.

Herne Hill’s own variation on speed-dating will hopefully eliminate the remaining chances of awkwardness by including a range of cycling games and challenges to get conversation rolling and give entrants an opportunity to connect with one another.

The event is limited to 15 members of each sex, as long as they’re over 18, and their bikes, as long as they’re roadworthy. Track bikes aren’t welcome, neither are fixed wheel bikes but freewheel single speeds are allowed, as long as they’ve got two brakes.

Participants are reminded that while they’re trying to turn heads, they’re also turning pedals and should dress accordingly.

Entrants shouldn't expect to leave with perfect hair as helmets are compulsory when riding at the Herne Hill facility. Baggy or flappy clothes are explicitly advised against and with the event starting at 7 pm participants are urged to wear layers to protect against the late-night cold.

The event sponsors, who will also be giving out goodies to the participants, are women’s cycling attire company Ana Nichoola, road cycling and triathlon store Sigma Sport and natural energy food brand Mule Bar.

If speed dating really isn’t your thing, but you’re interest has been piqued by the idea of meeting a fellow cyclist, there are alternative solutions at this time of year.

For bicycle bachelors and bachelorettes stuck across the pond, there’s an event in San Francisco on February 5 run by the Bicycle Coalition whose mission it is to make the city’s streets better and safer for cyclists.

Their '90s themed Love on Wheels event is a take on MTV’s dating game Singled Out, which only ran in the USA, where 50 blokes and 50 girls battle it out in a series of bicycle themed games and challenges for the chance to win a date supplied by one of their sponsors.

There are alternatives to big, noisy cycling events to meet the cyclist to share your life with. Cyclingsingles.com is an online dating website specifically set up to connect like-minded lovelorn cyclists. Entrance, unlike the aforementioned events, is free.