Steve Harrop, Founder and Director of Coaching has a lifelong passion for cycling. He built his first race bike in the 1970’s, and after many thousands of miles on roads and trails (and many, many bikes), his passion for cycling continues to grow. Steve is a Level 3 Cycling Coach, and has accumulated considerable experience coaching and training many athletes over the years; from those undertaking charity rides through to ultra-distance competitors and Team GB age-group triathletes.
Capitalising on his strong background in science Steve built a successful international career in the healthcare industry, directing corporate strategy and leading internatational teams, while continuing to balance his love of cycling with his family commitments. Whilst living and working in Chicago, Steve was introduced to ex-US Postal Service Team rider, Robbie Ventura who since retiring from professional racing, had developed a comprehensive training program for endurance athletes focusing on high quality coaching delivered with the maximum benefits of the latest technology and training methodologies. Steve recalls
“When my family and I relocated from Los Angeles to Chicago, I was worried I would limit my ability to train the whole year round. However when I was introduced to Robbie, I knew that I’d discovered the secret to not only maintaining, but building on my cycling performance during those notoriously long and cold winters in the Mid-West. The structure of a year-round training program enabled me to realise my biggest cycling goal at that time – to race the Leadville Trail 100.”
The pinnacle for Steve came in 2013, when he received one of the much coveted Race Buckles at the infamous 104-mile long mountain bike “Race Across the Sky”, based around the city of Leadville, high in the Colorado Rockies.
Upon returning to the UK, Steve found there were limited opportunities for serious, non-professional cyclists to access the training he had found so effective in the US, so he decided to set up his own training business here in Millhouses, Sheffield. In Steve’s own words
“Skyhook Coaching Services heralds a revolution in cycle training for riders in the UK, but the science and technologies behind it are built on years of experience and race-proven successes from the USA”.
In 2017 Steve was elected as Chairman of the Association of British Cycling Coaches, having served on the Executive Committee for a number of years prior. As possibly the oldest cycle coaching organisation in the world, the ABCC has been training and qualifying cycling coaches for over 40-years. Steve also assesses and mentors student coaches towards their coaching qualifications. Further details of the organisation can be found at https://www.abcc.co.uk/.
