Howard Williamson: Still Turning the Pedals, Still Finding SISU

Deep underground in Haworth, West Yorkshire — stone walls, UK time zone, country music echoing — you’ll find Howard Williamson doing what he’s always done: turning pedals, sorting his head out, and quietly proving that resilience doesn’t age out. At 65, Howard is one of those SISU Racing members who doesn’t just wear the kit — he lives the ethos.

Howard’s pain cave is refreshingly honest. A not-so-smart Wattbike Pro. Kettlebells. Weights. A strong coffee exactly 30 minutes before a ride. Country music that, in Howard’s words, sometimes sounds like “I lost my job, my wife left me and my dog died 🤠”. It’s said with a grin, but it carries truth — humour as a survival skill.

A lightweight climber by nature, Howard’s relationship with hills runs deep. He won several hill climbs in his younger days and even took on a National Hill Climb — an experience he cheerfully describes as “a disaster.” His racing story began in 1987 after being inspired by the Tour de France. Remarkably, he never had a bike as a kid. Cycling came into his life at 17 — and once it did, it never left.

Zwift changed everything. Winter turbo sessions stopped being a chore and became immersive, especially in Watopia. “It just takes you into another world,” Howard says. For him, cycling has always been more than training — it’s an escape. A way to put everything in his mind back into the correct place.

Howard’s greatest strength might be his ability to motivate himself. He talks about having little arguments with himself — sometimes winning, sometimes settling on a compromise — but he always finds a way to do something. Even a few minutes is enough to tick the box. Competitive by nature, he still loves to push himself, even if the body doesn’t always cooperate. Training has changed with age, but one day off a week remains sacred. His philosophy is simple: don’t overthink what didn’t work. Draw a line under it. Move on.

The past couple of years haven’t been easy. Health challenges have tested him, but positivity remains his default setting. That’s why winning the B Grade SISU Club Championship meant so much. Not in perfect shape. Not everything going right. Just turning up and racing hard. “The club championship 🏆 is at the top of the tree,” he says — and there’s no doubt he means it.

Team culture is where Howard truly shines, especially in the WTRL TTT series. In true SISU fashion, the TTT squads carry one of the team’s most charming quirks: they’re named after cute Finnish words. Howard rides with Pumpuli — which translates to Cotton Wool. Soft by name, anything but by nature.

Howard has taken Pumpuli to his heart. “Love them,” he says. The teamwork, the friendship, the shared suffering. Pumpuli has quietly built a reputation within SISU for commitment and team spirit, with a strong history of riders upgrading grades together through consistency, trust, and pulling for one another — the very essence of SISU.

And then… there’s the muffin story.

On a country lane ride, Howard was happily riding along while eating a muffin — as you do — when he approached a group walking across the road. One glanced back, spotted him, and chaos followed. The group scattered in all directions, and the largest among them — “built like a rhino” — took Howard out completely.

He came to lying dazed at the side of the road… muffin still in his mouth.

Someone shouted, “Turn him over, he’s foaming at the mouth!” — so they rolled him straight into a patch of stinging nettles. That, unsurprisingly, got him moving. The “rhino” escaped with a bloody nose, Howard with a red, itching rash, bent handlebars, and a buckled front wheel. An ambulance was called. Howard and his bike ended up in the back of it, heading to the depot to see what could be straightened.

The group calmly returned to the Tempest Arms.

Howard? He rode the final ten miles home on a wonky front wheel. 🛞

There’s even photographic evidence of Howard after another big crash — wearing his SISU jersey for the very first time. The jersey survived with just a few small holes. His ribs, however, took the full impact. Snap. 💥

Today, Howard wears the blue kit with pride, feeling honoured every time his aviator lines up among the wider Zwift peloton. Looking ahead, he plans to spend more time in Spain — but one thing won’t change.

As long as he can turn a pedal, Howard Williamson will keep riding for SISU Racing.

Because SISU isn’t about age, watts, or flawless seasons. It’s about showing up, laughing when it goes wrong, getting back on the bike — even if the wheel’s bent — and riding on anyway.

And Howard? He’s still doing exactly that.
One climb. One coffee. One country song. One muffin at a time. 💙🚴‍♂️