ROBERT MEIGH | Morpeth, Northumberland 🇬🇧
Diesel Power, Quiet Consistency: Rob Meigh’s SISU Racing Story
From a cold garage in Morpeth, Northumberland, to late-night Zwift start lines across Europe, Rob Meigh embodies a particular kind of SISU strength — the steady, reliable kind that just keeps turning the pedals. A self-described diesel, Rob doesn’t chase fireworks. He builds pressure. And then one day, you look down at the numbers and realise something special has happened.
Rob’s cycling story didn’t begin with carbon frames or Lycra confidence. As a student, it was canal paths and countryside routes on a humble hybrid that sparked the love of riding. Things escalated in 2014 with a second-hand road bike that didn’t quite fit and a 100km Gran Fondo tackled in board shorts — a moment Rob now recalls with a grin. It was a leap of faith that paid off. By 2017, Zwift entered the picture, not as a novelty, but as a solution to harsh UK winters and a growing ambition: tackling La Marmotte in the French Alps, cresting giants like Galibier and Alpe d’Huez.
Zwift didn’t just keep Rob riding — it levelled him up. What really unlocked his progress, though, wasn’t a magic workout or breakthrough race. It was volume. Consistent, sustainable volume. After years of “getting by” on three to four hours a week, Rob leaned into longer, easier riding through ECRO races. Ten hours a week. Plenty of Zone 2. Enjoyable, social, repeatable. The reward? A surprise 40-watt FTP jump discovered during an ITT. No drama. Just diesel doing diesel things.
Ask Rob about motivation and he won’t talk about trophies or titles. He’ll tell you this: the hardest part is getting on the bike. Once the pedals are turning, everything clicks. He’s never regretted a ride. And when motivation dips, the pull of teammates does the rest. From Rapha 500s to Uber Pretzels, PRL Fulls and full ECRO Tours, Rob has been supported — and inspired — by the people around him. That sense of shared effort sits at the heart of his journey.
Outdoors, his highlights read like an ultra-endurance greatest hits album. A 340km “chasing the sun” ride from England’s east coast to Scotland’s west. The brutally beautiful Fred Whitton Challenge, with gradients hitting 33%. The Dirty Reiver, 200km of gravel grit on the Scottish border. Indoors, 2025 marked a breakout Zwift season: personal bests across the board, multiple ECRO Tours, and a step up into ZRL Division B after dominating Cat C. Progress, earned the hard way.
Rob’s mindset is refreshingly grounded. If the pedals are moving, that is enough. Bad day? Race plan blown up? Still counts. That philosophy extends off the bike too. Even on tough days at work or home, showing up beats staying in bed — every time.
As captain of the ZRL Haahka team and SISU Pupu TTT squad, Rob thrives on the collective. He loves watching teammates develop, seeing plans come together, and squeezing every second out of teamwork. A self-confessed numbers geek, he relishes TTT planning and is always quick to point new captains toward tools, people, and help. For Rob, leadership is about enjoyment, curiosity, and lifting everyone around you.
Looking ahead to 2026, priorities are clear. Family first — a devoted husband and dad to two young boys. On the bike, the goal is Cat B: one last push upward, fueled by the same consistency that’s carried him this far.
Put Rob into a SISU relay and you know exactly where he belongs: diesel on the flat, laying down raw watts to set up the win. It’s a role he’s perfected — quietly powerful, endlessly dependable.
Ask him to finish the sentence “SISU Racing is…” and there’s no hesitation:
“The best sports club in the world.”
And coming from someone who measures success by effort, consistency, and community, that says everything.