Show Me Your Scars: the cult and culture of suffering in cycling

Is cycling a pain? This panel asks why pain deters some and motivates others to push their bodies to the limit.

Together we will discuss how pain is perceived and dealt with in a number of cycling contexts and how perceptions of pain inform endurance athletes’ experiences of exercise, and the pleasure participants and spectators take from it. The audience will be invited to share their thoughts and to show off their scars.

Panellists include University of Bristol’s Martin Hurcombe, a French cultural historian obsessed with the Tour de France, and Stuart Burgess, advisor to the British Olympic Cycling Team, plus Paul Jones, author of A Corinthian Endeavour: The Story of the National Hill Climb Championship and Phil Adkins, director of social cycling group Le Sportif.

Image credit: Paul Brookes via Flickr.

Accessibility

The venue has ramped access and wide aisled toilet at the front of the building. There is also a hearing induction loop installed. If you require the hearing induction loop please email us at least one week in advance of the event to let us know.

More Information

Note that there will be photography and filming taking place at the event. If you would prefer not to be filmed or featured in any of this material please let us know. We will also contact you after the event to ask for feedback. If you are not happy to be contacted let us know and we will remove you from the list.

For more information or if you have further questions please visit the festival website or contact us.

The venue has a licensed bar and street food will be available.

St Paul’s Church is located on Portland Square, a stones throw from Cabot Circus shopping centre and Stokes Croft. There is plenty of metered parking around the venue and a NCP car park a 5-10 minute walk away.

This project is a collaboration between the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute for Health Research, the Life of Breath project and the Public Engagement team at the University of Bristol and is made possible through the generous support of the Wellcome Trust.