Cycling Ireland's membership shows rapid growth in the past five years, with numbers rising faster now than ever before (Source: Cycling Ireland)
At the end of a fantastic road season for Irish cycling after which we have more professional riders than ever and sportives have continued to gain in popularity like never before, Cycling Ireland's membership has now reached what can only be described as runaway levels, exceeding 18,000.
The organisation reached record membership back in 2007, at just over 4,000; slightly ahead of the glory days at the height of the Stephen Roche and Sean Kelly era.
However, while a levelling off in growth may have been anticipated by now, some seven years on, records have been broken every year since then. The rate of growth is actually gaining pace; with no sign that the bike boom is set to ease any time soon.
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Indeed, a comparison between figures from June of this year and June 2012 reveals a staggering 35 per increase in the number of Cycling Ireland members, with 12,705 growing to 17,526.
Since then the numbers have continued to swell, with the membership having exceeded 18,000 in recent weeks.
Cycling Ireland is now confident the year ahead will see numbers break through the 20,000 mark; a five-fold increase since the previous peak of 1988, '89 and '90 as the sport was carried on the wave created by Stephen Roche's Tour, Giro and Worlds wins of 1987 and Sean Kelly's continued success.
Most of the current boom has come in the leisure sector of the sport, with the 30 to 45-year-old category accounting for much of the surge in numbers.
The booming numbers will be given a further boost next year when the Giro d'Italia starts here in May. Two stages start and finish in Belfast and one takes the riders south to Dublin for a stage finish against the spectacular backdrop of Government Buildings on Merrion Square in the south inner city.
Interest in the Giro will be increased by Irish participation in the race.
Dan Martin is set to lead his Garmin-Sharp squad in the three-week event and Nicolas Roche is pushing hard to ride the race - and perhaps be team leader - with his Saxo-Tinkoff squad.
Philip Deignan also looks set to ride with Team Sky, who he has just signed for.
Sam Bennett has just joined the NetApp-Endura squad, which competes in the second tier at Pro Continental level and they may get a Giro wild card.
Ireland's track world champion, Martyn Irvine rides in the same division, for Unitedhealthcare, and may be in the running for a place if his squad secured a wildcard entry.
When the race takes to Irish roads next May, Cycling Ireland's membership will be ten times higher than it was for the only other visit of a Grand Tour to these shores; the Tour de France in 1998.
Aside from those riders in the frame for a Giro start, there are plenty of others making their way in the sport with great success.
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Irish U23 internationals Conor Dunne and Ryan Mullen have just signed for An Post-Chainreaction where they will join two very strong compatriots already with the squad, namely Sean Downey and Jack Wilson.
Dunne took a stage in the Rás this year and held the yellow jersey while Mullen won two bronzes in the U23 European Track Championships this year and was 7th in the U23 World Time Trial Championships, despite moving up from the junior ranks just this year.
Peter Hawkins has been riding with IG Sigma Sport for the past two years and looks set to continue making the kind of progress that saw him take the yellow jersey in the 2013 An Post Rás and become one of the most consistent riders in the British Premier Calendar series.
Connor McConvey had a great year with the new Synergy Baku Team; a squad with Irishman David McQuaid as general manager and three-time Olympian David McCann as a directeur.
Felix English has re-signed with Rapha Condor-JLT and young Jack Sadler has jumped from being a junior this year into the Continental ranked team for next year; a fantastic achievement.
Marcus Christie has come back to storming form this year, especially in time trials, and can secure a pro deal if the cards fall his way.
Philip Lavery relocated to France for 2013 and had the season of his career to date; securing a trial with French pro team Cofidis. He will hopefully be in the pro bunch on the Continent next season with a major team.
Similarly, while the man who beat Lavery for the national road title in June, Matt Brammeier, has not nailed down his ride for next year yet, it looks certain he will remain in the pro ranks.
The aforementioned Martyn Irvine is world champion in the scratch race on the track, won silver at the same Worlds in Minsk in Marcofh in the individual pursuit and is ranked world No 1 in both the scratch and pursuit.
Young Eoin Mullen is making great progress in the men's sprint events and took his first international win at the Three Days of Aigle a couple of weeks back.
Caroline Ryan is the women's world No 1 pursuiter while on the road Mel Spath and Olivia Dillon are in the pro ranks in the US.
Stephen Clancy has not let his diabetes diagnosis last year impede his progress, instead securing a contract with the Pro Continental team Novo-Nordisk.
While success for Irish riders at pro level is very welcome and should lead to even more progressing into the paid ranks, it only involves a small number of athletes relative to the domestic scene.
The challenge for Cycling Ireland is to retain its numbers in the years ahead, while the domestic racing scene would also benefit from converting those cycling for fitness and leisure into the racers.
The national body has put in place programmes to foster youth and junior riders, but the boom in leisure events, and especially in A3 and A4 racing, has not been replicated in the younger age groups. Success in that regard would guarantee a strong domestic racing scene into the future and would be a lasting legacy of the current boom.
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