So I’ve narrowed down my final offers from UCAS to Bath and Loughborough.
Predicted grades A*AA.
Bath conditional AAA
Loughborough conditional AAB

Now to decide which to go to.
Any advice/tips/pointers/experience?

Riding-wise I race XC and Road, dabble in track too.
This year I will be travelling across to all of the British XC NPS rounds from Northern Ireland, so rather than do the same next year, I picked Universities on the mainland to hopefully reduce travel a bit. I aim to race XC at elite level, hopefully riding some World Cups next year. Thus, I need good training facilities and support – I think Loughborough may be the better place from a sports performance perspective.
Currently on National squads, racing internationally, national champion, may be racing world championships this year, does anybody know of any grants or support available?
Education-wise, the courses look similar, but the Bath course includes a professional placement year, which I think would be awfully useful in the Sports Science field.

Any help at all would be absolutely super.

I expect it might be the same a Loughborough but Bath has fantastic sport facilities and quite a few Olympians in various sports training there. That’s got to be a handy resource. There’s good riding right outside the campus. Bath will almost certainly be better for meeting ladies if you are into that sort of thing 🙂 A good professional placement is one of the best things you can do at uni. It should teach you a lot and give you a good idea of what your next step might be and what you need to do to get there.

Loughborough seems more central, for travelling to races. Assuming British NPS and big races are also central? If they’re all stuck down the bottom end of the country then obviously Bath may be a better idea.
East Midlands Airport being only 7 miles down the road makes Loughborough quite appealing.

What’s the race scene like around Bath?
The professional placement definitely sounds good, but could I do something of similar value over Summer/holidays if I went to Loughborough?

Speaking from knowing nothing specifically about the two universities:

It’s not all about studying and training and Bath is a great city, lots going on, whereas as Loughborough is a something or nothing market town (IMO). Greater selection of riding from the door in Bath too and not too tricky to get to the velodrome at Newport either.

I’m a current SES final year at Bath, and did a placement last year so can hopefully answer a few questions.

In general (when I was choosing unis) bath offer a more science based course. Soon first year we did a module of pure biochemistry outside of the department, and our physiology modules are more in depth than some other unis- so I gather from talking to friends elsewhere.

Facilities wise the unis seemed similar to me (I am not of national standard BTW) I love the 50m pool at bath, as well as making use of lots of the other stuff around. The riding here is pretty good, and the cycling club are very active on all fronts from bmx to track including maintaining some of the trails which start from campus. In my year group there are a number of people competing internationally so you won’t be the only one I would guess.

Grants wise look at the Talented Athlete Sponsorship Scheme ( TASS) if it still exists?!

The placement year swung it for me, so valuable to have on your cv. Although no guarantee of a job (as I am in the process of finding out). I spent last year in Vancouver doing physiological testing and training with endurance athletes, and can safely say it was the best year of my life. Most of my friends have said the same about their experiences.

Any other questions then fire away!

From experience, the women at Loughborough are mighty fine.

Having studied myself in the east midlands I’d go to Bath.

From experience, the women at Loughborough are mighty fine.

This but the town itself is a shit hole. I’d go to Bath despite the Sport Science department at Loughborough being amazing. As long as the OP get’s a good 2:1 or a 1st his employment prospects will be the same from either – you want to have a good time when you go to university and Bath will deliver that in spades.

Given that both Loughborough and Bath both have top-rated sports courses and facilities, I would imagine that chances of finding athletically lovely ladies or, indeed, gentlemen at either would be pretty good.

Bath university is on a big old hill, as well. You could give the strava some serious stick getting up that each morning.

Loogabarooga every time.

😀

I went to Loughborough. Graduated in 2011.

The sports facilities are amazing. If you are an ‘elite’ athlete its worth going to Loughborough just for them! Regularly saw professional and world class athletes in ‘Powerbase’ (the huge gym/training complex).

The women are also hot. However you will find that with that comes many, many kn*b head guys (mainly rugby players) bowling around thinking they own the place… Even so I enjoyed my time there!

Can’t believe you are overlooking Jordanstown. Excellent trails up in woodburn, and the lough shore cycle path is your very own velodrome with added wind resistance.

If you have any interest in cultural activities give Loughborough a miss. Fashion consists of rugby shirt,purple trackies and flipflops, music consists of chart music or cheese, drinking consists of snakebite and black (purple nasty as its known), and the nightlife consists of the student union or 2 towny clubs. All a bit insular…

Course was great (albeit not sport science) but I wish I had studied in a city.

IHN – Member
Given that both Loughborough and Bath both have top-rated sports courses and facilities, I would imagine that chances of finding athletically lovely ladies or, indeed, gentlemen at either would be pretty good.

Ah, but we know for certain that Loughborough has a high standard of Chris Akabusi, Bath is yet to be confirmed. A bush in the hand is worth…..

To be fair I have little interest in culture or night-life, I just ride my bike and go to school, I don’t really have time for anything else!
I’m aware this may change, but I guess going to Loughborough may be beneficial in that there’d be **** all to do even if I wanted to go out and ruin my training!

A lot of people saying good things about Loughborough so far, I do think I’m kind of swaying that way..
But then the placement year brings me back to Bath every time.

**Member of Bath Uni CC**

All types of cycling in Bath is a million times better than Luffbra.

We’ve got national standard riders across Track, XC, Road, TT and downhill. A few UCI world cup mountain bikers locally too. Plenty of people to give you an kicking on a daily basis.

The university has a Team Bath programme, athletes of a certain level get free gym membership, access to physio, medical and strength and condition services.

Join our facebook group Bath Uni CC facebook and fire over any specific questions there. We’ve got a couple of sport science students in the ranks who could help with course related questions.

I live near Loughborough, so I’m well qualified to say you should go to Bath. If the courses are identical and the locations are the deciding factor, the two locations really don’t compare. Bath FTW

A placement year can be very useful at the end – i did a degree at a ‘lesser’ uni purely as there was a placement year in it. Worked for the same co when i graduated and it put me well on the way to success.

Just to throw a spanner in the works, I am pretty sure derby uni has some link/connection with British cycling. The riding is pretty good locally although derby itself is even greyer than Antrim 😉

Loughbourgh when I was there (97-00) had mind blowing sports facilities. And they have kept building. The riding on the doorstep isn’t great but there is plenty of road riding for training. On top of that it’s well situated to get to Peak, Lakes, Wales, Yorkshire. Has a mainline station and the town is fine.

As an elite athlete you probably don’t want a massive night life of lots of clubs….

Student nights I’m sure havn’t evolved that much so cheap beer and dodgy clubs are in – all uni towns have them 🙂

The only thing about Loughborough is do you like Purple? The uniform of sports science…..

**Alumni of Bath Uni CC** (Hi Doug!)

Things to consider:

– All uni towns are full of ‘hot’ girls
– Neither Bath nor Loughborough are renown for their nightlife.
– The sports facilities are equally mind blowing at both Bath and Loughborough.

Things that actually matter to you:

– Bath has MTB trails from campus, in every direction. And they’re good.
– In Bath, you don’t have to walk around in purple.
– Sport Science at Bath has a very good reputation for finding employment for its graduates. That, in the end, is all that matters.

I went to Bath on a ‘TASS’ scholarship, for athletics. The support was phenomenal, with amazing personal and medical care. I switched to cycling after getting the inevitable runners injuries, and was welcomed by the cycling club/team. Like Doug said, the team has nurtured many international calibre athletes, you won’t be alone. I am currently racing Elite XC (but not in the UK anymore).

If you have any more questions, the Bath Uni CC guys are very friendly. Ask them some questions.

Having done my PhD at Loughborough then I would go to Bath. Loughborough has one of the highest proportions of public school students, if that matters to you at all.

i’ve no experience of bath other than doing a gig at mole’s once. Mighty fine food.

Loughborough has a mighty fine road scene. As above, elite sports are well covered. I’m sure glen at pedal power can give a great insight into the tri athletes scene. There’s a healthy chain gang scene, evening circuit races at both mallory and darley dale. The friday night mtb series is local and a great east midlands cross series. Charnwoood offfers a good assortment of hilly or flat rides.

Loughborough does have an awful lot of scummers though. (apologies to luffbra neighbours) 😛