Students help create cycle jerseys display for World Championships

As excitement builds for the upcoming UCI Road World Championships in Yorkshire - which will see sixth former Abi Smith ride in the junior women's race - everyone at Ripon Grammar School is getting behind the event. Design technology teacher STEVEN MANN reports on how RGS students helped create Ripon's colourful display of cycle jerseys

YOU may have noticed a colourful display of painted plywood cycling jerseys recently positioned around Ripon’s roads to help promote the UCI Road World Championships and to brighten our proud city. 

Cycling events organiser and RGS parent Mike Thwaites, father of second formers Jake and Callum, approached the school's Greenpower Club battery-powered car enthusiasts team early in 2019 to see if we could design and make the jerseys from plywood. 

Many of our Greenpower Club are keen cyclists themselves and were eager to get involved. We first made an accurate template by drawing around student Sam Hills, then in second form, who seemed just the right size and build. From the template we produced 50 identical jerseys which were screwed to wooden posts to enable them to stand by the roadside in soft ground. 

The jerseys were beautifully painted in a range of UCI colours by another team organised by Mike. I think you’ll agree they are extremely eye-catching!