Richard Barry
Richard Barry
I love playing in the mud and in IRL cyclocross is my main discipline. Most Sunday’s from September to January you’ll find me in a field/woods (potentially knee deep in mud- it is Ireland after all....). Favourite on bike food is jelly beans. Fun fact: 5 jelly beans is the equivalent of 1 energy gel.
  • Zwift Rank 117.13
  • 15 sec power 781 w
  • 1 min power 522 w
  • 5 min power 371 w
  • 20 min power 326 w
  • Hometown Passage West, Cork, Ireland
  • Profession Secondary (High School) Phys Ed and
  • English teacher
My Story

I’m from a small village called Passage West, in Co. Cork Ireland but I live and work in Co. Wexford. I’m a Physical Education teacher and Special Educational Needs Teacher so I’m lucky I get to combine my passion for sport with my job. My wife is also a PE teacher and together we have a little 3 year old boy with another baby on the way in May. I’ve been racing bikes since I was 17 but the pandemic sparked my Zwift journey and I love every bit of it. This team has been a huge part of it and it’s amazing the relationships that we have created despite the fact that most of us have never met IRL. IRL I race with my club St. Finbarrs Cycling Club based in Cork and it is where my love of bikes and bike racing began. Outside of bikes I love spending time with my family, being outdoors, and of course enjoying a beer or red wine when I can.

How you discovered Zwift

I bought a smart trainer in 2018 and signed up to Zwift then. I used it only for training/workouts. Rode my first Zwift race in March 2020 and even though I got a kicking I was hooked. Having a competitive outlet when all racing was cancelled was really good (mentally as much as physically). When the 3rd lockdown in Jan 2021 hit I ended up racing against most of you guys on Thursdays so I was really delighted when Greg asked me to join and I’ve had a great time since!

Real life athletics background

Played loads of sports growing up (GAA, tennis, golf, soccer to name a few) but discovered road cycling at 18. I wasn’t particularly successful early on but managed to make the Irish u23 development team for one stage race in 2009. Plodded along with a few results here and there until I discovered Cyclocross in 2015 and never really looked back. I now only race occasionally on the road. Best result to date was 5th in the Elite National Championships in 2020. Covid got in the way of racing a few Belgian races last season so hopefully will get a chance to go there at some point in the future.

FUN FACT:
I can parallel park like a boss. No space is too small.

Cycling Achievements
  • 2021
    1st place in Dungarvan Cross
  • 2021
    1st place in Sliabh Luachra Cross
  • 2021
    3rd overall and Points Jersey winner in TUZ Tour of the North 2021 (Zwift
  • 2021
    1st place in Cycling Ireland Zwift League 2021
  • 2020
    5th (1st rider across the line with a real job...) in Irish National Cyclocross Championships
  • 2019
    1st place in Crossbarrs
  • 2018
    1st place in Deronde Cross
  • 2009
    Represented Ireland in U23 team in the Suir Valley 3 day
My Filmography
  • 2021
    as Cycling Ireland e-racing league Rd 5. Richard takes the Win