Clubs are the backbone of the cycling scene and community, and an invaluable source of knowledge and advice that can help you improve as a bike rider. Here are some more reasons why you should join one, and some tips on finding the right club for your riding style.
You don’t have to sign up and join a club straight away to ride with one. Most clubs will let you come on a ride or two before requiring you to join, so you can find out of you enjoy their company. Contact the club secretary to find out exactly how this works for any particular club.
When you turn up, be prepared just as you would for a solo ride, with water, food, spare tubes and tools, and follow instructions from the rider leaders.
Here’s why you should club together.
Meet like-minded riders
Clubs have personalities so finding one that matches your interests is a great way to meet like-minded riders. Some clubs are just about riding; the Sunday club ride is the focus of the club’s activities. Others are centred on racing, while your local CTC group will likely be dedicated to pootling around the most obscure lanes the ride leader can find to connect pubs and cafes.
The larger the club, the more varied its activities are likely to be. For example, Chippenham Wheelers, one of the UK’s largest clubs, has five clubruns each weekend for different fitness levels, a Wednesday evening time trial every week during the summer, audax rides, training sessions at Castle Combe circuit and lots more.
New roads and routes
Fed up of repeating the same old rides every time? There are plenty of Google Maps-based routing sites and apps that can help you find a new ride, but that can be a bit hit-and-miss — I once ended up on a byway following a route generated by CycleStreets. That was kinda fun, but the 23mm tyres I was on weren’t really suitable for trail riding.
Club ride leaders are expected to keep a ride on suitable roads, which means knowing the back lanes and quieter B roads, so a clubrun is a great way to add to your repertoire of rides and get a feel for an area.
Cafe expertise
Every good clubrun includes a cafe stop. That makes social club rides a great way to find out who does the best lemon drizzle cake among the cafes within riding range.
Racing
Sure you can join British Cycling as a private member and rock up to the start of a Cat 4 race, but if you don’t know what you’re doing you’ll almost certainly get blown out the back of the group quickly. If you do manage to hang on you’ll likely be a danger to yourself and others if you don’t know how to ride in a high-speed group.
A racing-orientated club will have coaches and training sessions that will help you get fit enough you don’t get spat off the back of every race, and build the skills to handle a bike and position yourself safely even though you’re almost touching shoulders with other riders.
Companionship
You might like riding alone, and that’s fine, but club rides give you the chance to chat while you whizz along, and they’re one of those rare social situations where you won’t be considered odd for wittering on about bikes.
Being in a group is also invaluable if things go wrong. You should have spares, tools, food and drink with you anyway, but if you suffer a significant mechanical the chances are there’ll be someone in the group to fix it.
A well-run clubrun will usually have a ‘no rider left behind’ policy. Fitter riders might get a bit frisky on hills, but they’ll wait for the group to reassemble at the top. If you’ve over-reached a bit, and the ride turns out to be further than you can manage comfortably, you’ll get help in the form of a wheel to follow or even a helping hand up hills.
This usually doesn’t apply to chaingangs, though, but the incentive of not getting dropped is a great inspiration to dig deep into your reserves.
Training
As mentioned above many clubs run training sessions. These can be a high-speed on-road ‘chain gang’; more structured sessions on an off-highway circuit; or a room full of turbo trainers at a gym or community centre.
Being able to tap into coaching expertise is a big advantage of a club, whether your aim is to get into racing, take it more seriously or just to move up from Silver to Gold standard in your favourite sportive.
Skill building
Riding with a club is a good way to learn useful road skills. It’s a bit circular, as they’re mostly the skills you need to ride in a group, such as warning of hazards and following a wheel, but anything that teaches you finer bike control is a good thing.
Discounts
Many bike shops offer discounts either to members of associated clubs or to members of the CTC or British Cycling, organisations that many club members also join. On line, Chain Reaction gives 10 percent off to British cycling members and Cotswold Outdoor has 15 percent off for CTC members.
Cycling clubs and riding groups
British Cycling lists its 1,700 affiliated clubs in its Club Finder.
Cycling UK also has a comprehensive listing of affiliated clubs and local groups
If you want something more informal than traditional cycling clubs, there are lots of cycling groups to be found on sites like MeetUp or on various social media platforms.
78 thoughts on “8 reasons to join a cycling club + how to find the right one for you”
Every club has its twat
Every club has its twat though, the guy who turns up on the intro/leisure ride and moans at it going 13mph average and only 30 miles.
Danger Dicko wrote:
Wonderful contribution.
HalfWheeler wrote:
its a fair point IMO…if they are going to do 8 reasons to join a club, there are at least 8 reasons not to join a club as well, and that would have been reason #1 on my not joining list 🙂
Awavey wrote:
Wonderful contribution.
— HalfWheeler its a fair point IMO…if they are going to do 8 reasons to join a club, there are at least 8 reasons not to join a club as well, and that would have been reason #1 on my not joining list 🙂— Danger Dicko
Therefore it is up to the senior members of the club to acknowledge a new rider, introduce themselves and assess the ability of the rider. This will enable either the new rider or the senior member to place them in the correct ride level. The result, stable groups, happy riders.
On the flip side it also stops new rider who thinks they are excellent at cycling jumping on to a fast group and then having to be carried for the majority of the ride. As with all things cycling, communication is the key. A simple introduction and pre ride conversation can often alleviate potential issues.
Martyn_K wrote:
Exactly. This is precisely what a club I approached did. When I pointed out that I owned only a hybrid, was over 50 and had been cycling for only a few months on a short commute, he politely advised that I would be unlikely to keep up and suggested another club in the area. Fair enough. I thanked him for his time and that was that. I really don’t see why an established club should have to modify its activities to suit a single individual.
Eton Rifle wrote:
As someone who sort of runs a sort of club (no committee meetings or anything but lots of riding together) I think the question of how much the club can or should modify its activities for an individual is the crux of the question. If a club is huge with various groups going out a different speeds then it should be relatively straightforward to place a new member in the right group.
Smaller clubs like ours will really struggle with that though as we have either one or two groups going out. For most of us the Sunday ride is a big part of the week and the core of the group ride together regularly and manage a good pace. Of course we want to attract new members and not discourage people, but it’s hard to do that without frustrating the group a bit.
The irony is, and this genuinely bothers me- is that having sort of set the club up when I was a beginner, if I was to come along now at the level that I was at then, I would really struggle with the rides that we do. Thankfully we are now more regularly getting a slower group going out but that is not always happening. Don’t underestimate how hard it is to keep everyone happy all the time!
Eton Rifle wrote:
Sorry, duplicate post
Awavey wrote:
There are idiots everywhere. Joining a cycling club doesn’t mean you have to ride with one any more than if you don’t. I suggest you trade in your tired old stereotype for a more modern one.
Simon E wrote:
it doesn feel like an old stereotype when I see them out on their club runs and Ill see the main group pass at rapid pace, and then a little later the small splits of people in shiny new gear desperately trying to keep up with the group following on, and most of them look thoroughly fed up and disheartened by the experience.
whether the group leader loses control,or its a test of mettle as one of my friends on her 1st club social run was told when she was deliberately dropped, or something else I dont know.
maybe Im just unlucky all the clubs round me are populated by the idiots, but enough people from all kinds of diverse geographic areas often feedback similar tales.
I get that some people are over ambitious and may end up picking the wrong groups to ride in, but the solution for clubs isnt then to run them as closed shops only open to pro level fitness/speed riders.
Awavey wrote:
Wonderful contribution.
— HalfWheeler its a fair point IMO…if they are going to do 8 reasons to join a club, there are at least 8 reasons not to join a club as well, and that would have been reason #1 on my not joining list 🙂— Danger Dicko
Unfortunately this is what happened last week at my clubs ‘noobie’ ride. What was meant to be a steady ride ended up at intermidiate speeds and kept dropping 4 riders off the back. I was one of those as I was recovering from an injury and a chest infection, another was also club member who was on his first time out after a broken collarbone and the other two were new.
What added to it was as soon as the four of us caught up at stop points, the guy leading would want to roll out immediately, not allowing us time to recover or feed.
I ended up dropping off the group and taking a different route back and will email the secretary the complain about the guy.
If I was a new person, I definitely wouldnt go back, and ironically, I spoke with some of the new riders about why they had chosen to ride with us, their replies were that they had emailed other clubs and the attitude was “be able to ride at this speed or we’ll drop you”.
zanf wrote:
Seems like you and the other recovering club rider could have made the decision to split your group of 4 and ride back together at your own pace.
wycombewheeler wrote:
Not exactly going for a club ride though is it, if you have to limp back home with a few others who the club couln’t be arsed to wait for?
imajez wrote:
There’s nothing like a bit of victim blaming.
Danger Dicko wrote:
wow, really?
I’m not saying they should have split off because they couldn’t keep up with the group. I’m saying that since the group were not being reasonable, to the point where he preffered to ride back solo, he might have enjoyed the ride back more with the other three, they probably would have enjoyed it more too.
I’ve been with my club for
I’ve been with my club for around 3 years now and always look forward to the weekend rides.
I’m not sure how clubs on a Sunday club ride are arrogant though. In my opinion, my own club is friendly to all other cyclists (whether they are alone or riding with another club) and I’d say most clubs are friendly in return (whether I’m on a club ride or riding on my own).
Danger Dicko wrote:
They say in poker that there is a sucker at everytable, and if you can’t identify him, it means it’s you.
Does the same apply here? If you can’t identify the club twat, then… ?
Danger Dicko wrote:
Yeah, 1 whining twat and a whole bunch of narcissists pretentious supposedly superior “alpha” males.
“I don’t care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members.”
Groucho Marx
I just rode with mates for 15
I just rode with mates for 15 years but when I moved back up North I joined a club. All the points mentioned were valid.
There is often an awful lot of politics and power struggles going on in many clubs. After 6 years I left the club along with most of it’s members. I joined another to be part of a club for racing.
My advice if you choose to join a club is to keep your head down, benefit from the teaching, make some good training mates and try and avoid any committee meetings!
WolfieSmith wrote:
So fucking true. TTs are the way forward.
If being a cycling club
If being a cycling club member makes you as happy looking as the bunch in the black and white photo, I think maybe I’ll give it a miss.
34285011 wrote:
That’s because its a fixie club (judging by the bikes). And check out the seat position on the bike on the right.
CygnusX1 wrote:
More importantly, who has been beating up that kid holding it? Is cycling still an extreme sport? His mother should be told this club has no helmet policy.
CygnusX1 wrote:
Hello,
The black and white photo at the top of the article was taken in 1912, just prior to the outbreak of WWI. The club is “Springwood Cycling Club” located in the Blue Mountains just outside of Sydney, Australia. Springwood Cycling Club is again up and running and we ride in memory and honour of these great men and boys in the photo. There are not many flat roads in the Blue Moutains, lots of hills, they were pretty tough old buggers on their fixies. We also enjoy all the benifets that are mentioned in this article although we dont conduct races. A great positive experience for all involved.
Quote:
definitely.
Each time I’ve taken up a new
Each time I’ve taken up a new sport or activity I’ve joined the relevant club or society and I had every intention of joining a cycling club after I bought my first road bike.
That was before I’d been out solo on Sundays and experienced at first hand the arrogant and selfish way club groups rode. I then looked at the newsletter of my local club online and found a plea from their Chairman for members to try to treat each other with respect. He cited instances of inappropriate and dangerous racing in the town centre resulting in crashes and slower riders being left behind on ‘social’ rides.
I do know a couple of club members who won’t join these groups but only ride with a handful of friends and in TTs, so it’s not only me who is put off.
I moved to the Woodlands area
I moved to the Woodlands area in Texas a few years ago. The local club has not been a positive fun experience. They did the same routes over and over again, so I became frustrated and bored. I volunteered that they could have different ride leaders on a revolving basis to keep things fresh and interesting, but that idea was ignored. The regular Saturday ride leader also didn’t hide her racist beliefs. The last time I rode with them was when I heard some snippets of trash talking about my unique bike.
Surprised at how negative
Surprised at how negative many of the comments have been. My own experience to date as a Sportif/touring cyclist has been entirely positive. New routes, coffee stops and friends; plenty of encouragement, advice and banter, and, best of all, a real incentive to get out on the road when the weather is less than perfect. Comparing this winter to last, I have clocked up 400-500km each month as against 120km between November 2014 and the end of January 2015.
The only slight negative is the disinclination to head out solo as riding in a well organised group is so much more fun.
The main advantage of joining
The main advantage of joining a club is having another, nearby club to disparage – with comments about their racing prowess, their manners, their event organising. Having another group to dislike is really popular – see the rise of ISIS as an example.
Wolfie’s point above is a good one. I’m one of those people daft enough to put my hand up for jobs when nobody else will. If I spent as much time on the bike as I do on club admin, then I’d be thinner. And faster. And happier.
There’s a couple of good
There’s a couple of good clubs round my way but they all start their rides early on sunday mornings. Weekends don’t start until the clock’s on double digits! Fortunately I have enough cycling mates who will drag me out of my duvet :¬)
blinddrew wrote:
I want at least 60km on the clock by the time 10am rolls around. gpo out early home by noon, still have the best part of the day for other stuff.
although this is probably easier on a saturday morning than a sunday.
Any club who drop new members on a ride doesn’t deserve new members. Dropping riders is not acceptable. (except for the fastest group. Our club has a number of groups riding different routes at different speeds to meet at the same coffee stop. There should be a group for any speed, anyone attempting to ride with the fast group should be sure of their ability and also self sufficient enough if they find they have over stretched themselves.)
THe reality is that for every
THe reality is that for every good club that has a solid and responsive board/committee, a mix of rider abilities and enough numbers to safely lead rides for all abilities and even more importantly a commitment to helping people improve at all levels there will be a club that has none of this and give clubs in general a bad name.
Interestingly in my area, the introduction of a club that set out and achieved all the fist set of points I make made at least one other “old school” club have to up its game and become more inclusive as everyone started leaving……
Join a club. If it doesnt work, no harm done what have you lost (most clubs will let you try before you buy.
If you are in Oxfordshire, I suggest my club http://www.condors.cc
My club are all a good mix
My club are all a good mix and a good laugh. Of course, I could be the dick.
Joining my first ever cycling
Joining my first ever cycling club after moving from the UK to Florence Italy and buying my first road bike has been a really good experience. It’s helped me meet new people, both Italians and others, and be part of something where I would otherwise be much more of a tourist, plus practice the language a bit.
I’ve done quite a few granfondos/mediofondos already and have become quite a good climber on intermediate hills and learning how to tackle mountains too.
It’s inspired me to start planning a guided ride company too to take tourists out of the city into Chianti and the Apennines.
I went out with the other
I went out with the other half on a CTC so-called 1 star friendly ride. It included a number of short stiff climbs that were too much for her, which the ride leaders sprinted up. But they did wait at the top. So far so good.
Then at the end they told her that the ride wasn’t really for cyclists like her. We never went on a CTC group ride again.
matthewn5 wrote:
That is terrible, good job you didn’t go back
My own club has grown from 50 rider members upto over 100 in a little over a year. We have 3 groups rides, juniors, intermediate and seniors
The lower two groups do not drop anyone and wait for those who struggle, the faster riders in each bunch can sprint off for a little detour and rejoin.
The senior group, you’re expected to be of a certain fitness. You don’t get dropped on the way out to the cafe break. The pace on the way back gets faster and faster until the pack explodes with the front runners sprinting up hills and the likes of me dropping off. Make your way home. 75 fast miles done 🙂
That really doesn’t sound
That really doesn’t sound like a CTC type ride. Usually an older slower group of riders who happily wait for slower riders.
Not that the CTC even exists now, it’s been CyclingUK for 6 years now.
Quote ,’While tour local CTC
Quote ,’While tour local CTC group will likely be dedicated to pootling the most obscure lanes the lead rider can find to connect pubs and cafes’
I find this most deprecating and visualise a good many CTC groups and individuals frothing at the mouth, likewise cyclists and groups under the National Clarion ubrella. Many of todays top cyclists began at a lowly level in clubs that embrace the social and competitive element, look no further than the Yates twins for instance, nurtured in a well established clarion section, namely Bury Clarion. Blackburn CTC is another grass roots section to have made an impact competitive wise locally while maintaining a social ethos. I enjoy the rise in cycling participation but deplore the media’s (magazines) total immersion in sportive events and marketing, there is still a place for grass roots cycling which will, against the odds, produce future champions.
antonio wrote:
I find this most deprecating and visualise a good many CTC groups and individuals frothing at the mouth, likewise cyclists and groups under the National Clarion ubrella. — antonioNot sure why you think that’s a negative comment. Sounds like quite a good idea to me. Obsure lanes mean less idiots in cars to contend with.
I recently went with a ride with some folk who also do CTC routes and they got ribbed about doing exactly that and were fine with it.
Every club has its own
Every club has its own culture, and sometimes it’s not particularly conducive to bringing on new people.
In my area there are three cycling clubs I could regard as local, plus a couple of triathlon clubs that naturally include cycling. One of the cycle clubs is essentially about racing and Audax, another about sportives and Mamil-style rides, and the third is more about its local community and getting people together.
There’s quite a lot of movement between these three, as people find their preferences – whether permanently or temporarily. Each wants to gather new riders, and ostensibly offers newcomer-friendly rides, but the actuality is often rather different. Of the three, the Mamil club is actually the most welcoming and responsive to the needs of new, adult, riders, with a variety of rides each weekend which cater for the slowest to medium-fast riders. The racing club obviously has a chaingang which does what it says on the tin, but its weekend rides tend to be longer and faster than most newcomers would wish to tackle. The community club is great for familes, and particularly children, but for anything more advanced it relies on sub-groups within the club to organise their own stuff.
I haven’t experienced the triathlon clubs, but their cycling tends to be fast and individual, for obvious reasons. They do have good reputations as friendly clubs, though (which would accord with my experience of triathlon generally).
Most of the members of all of the cycling clubs are generous in their support of the others, but there are those – and they tend to be fairly prominent – who will denigrate the other clubs, and, more importantly, the style of rider they encourage. When the denigration is of those who are slower, less fit, older, younger, the wrong sex, riding the ‘wrong ‘bike, etc. etc., it gets pretty discouraging. Yet those doing the denigrating see themselves as ‘protecting the ethos and purity’ of cycling the old way.
It’s become pretty obvious that some clubs have really got it right and have grown exponentially over the last few years, and some have stagnated or died (and been proud of their failure to ‘give in’ while doing so!). Sadly, for me the one club in my area that has ‘got it right’ I can’t rejoin because my ex is a committe member and would hate me being in it!!
Even the best has their downside.
Not being able to keep up has
Not being able to keep up has never stopped me from joining a cycling club. Yes, there is an expectation that you should be able to keep up during club runs (rather than training runs or chain gangs), but the alternative is pretty chaotic.
I can only speak for myself but when I was a kid, and later in my 30s when I got back into the sport, I knew what cycling clubs were like and what I could expect; a month or so of solid pastings before I could keep up. Now I’m dropping the same people on chain gangs as soon as we hit the hills (and I’m not special let me tell you).
It’s not instant, it takes a bit of perseverance and suffering but it’s worth it in the end. You’ll be faster and stronger but that’s only part of it. Clubs, any clubs, are social. Joining a cycling club means you can get out on your bike with like minded people and laugh your ass off in the process. Going out with the bunch is great fun, a laugh a minute, that’s the real reason for me joining a club.
Well that’s my club’s jersey
Well that’s my club’s jersey in the second picture, and I have to say I don’t recognise any of the adverse comments on here. I’m not aware of any cliques, the club runs are always ‘no drop’, we always make sure everyone is able to either ride with the group or if they decide to head off they know where they are and are able to get home.
That’s probably why it’s been going since 1893 without a break and is ‘probably the best cycling club in the country’
.
(Bristol South, in case you were wondering)
mbrads72 wrote:
—
Stirling Bike Club is very
Stirling Bike Club is very brilliant. It caters for all cycling related interests and regardless of level. I’m a tad biased as I love being a member of it.
All those pople moaning, I
All those pople moaning, I feel sorry for you, you’re either miserable gits in general or you just havent found the right club. Differnt clubs will suit differnt people, you have to find a place where there are like minded people. I’d suggest a smaller club is better than joining the most poplular/largest/established. If your limited for choice in your area that’s a s shame….you can always start your own! ‘build it and they will come’
I’m new to the UK and looking
l
Just a post for anyone who is
Just a post for anyone who is thinking of joining a club and sees quite a lot of negativity on here.
I joined a club in August and in that time have gone out most Sundays. Sometimes I’ve been a group which is too fast for me but that’s the point really and I’ve got faster even if I’m hanging on at the end. There are 7 groups and the ones I hang around in (the slow ones) seem to wait for everyone. It all seems rather civil with a good load of male and female riders of different ages.
All in all although I wasn’t convinced I should join a club, as it would be all cliquey with 100s of rules, it’s actually quite fun. Boring, but how it’s been for me
There’s nothing wrong with
There’s nothing wrong with going out on a group riding and struggling a little. That’s how you get better!
However, the manner in which the group deals with struggling riders is key. If it’s right at the start of a ride and someone has clearly chosen a group with whom they are going to struggle, then it is only fair for all riders to be straight with that person. If, however, someone has joined a group, tried to do their fair share of work but it’s finding things a little tough on the return leg, then you owe it to them to encourage them to sit in and get a tow home. If the group agrees, maybe ease up a little or let the really strong riders or people who only have a morning pass go ahead.
Cycling clubs are made up of people and law of averages states that number of those will be twats. But, there are usually far more that are really decent people. Local club rivalry is par for the course, but if you happen to be miles from home, maybe taking part in an overseas sportive, that rivalry soon melts away.
Just reading the comments
Just reading the comments after coming across this article while looking for something to promote cycle club membership.
I definitely think it’s a good idea to join a club and get involved. In cycling like I’m sure many other sports it’s amazing that people are keen to moan but not get involved. They forget other club committee members, officials at races and regional officials are mostly volunteers. Rather than complaining about what the local club does or doesn’t do the moaners could get involved.
I’m not massively keen on people jumping from club to club choosing one that’s further away or joining the “race team” that never organises any races but just rides other clubs events.
It’s an obvious thing to say,
It’s an obvious thing to say, but clubs are volunteer organisations, and are only as good as their members. If you avoid getting involved and don’t help to shape the club culture, how do you expect things to improve?
My club also feature in one of the photos above, although we only date back to 1925. We have novice rides, a thriving junior section, coaching at all levels, a TT series, run 20 to 30 open races a year and 25% of the members are women (including our last 2 club presidents).
Don’t be put off by the negative stories. Lots of clubs are very forward looking these days, so try a few out and hopefully you’ll find one that suits you.
Saw this thread revived and
Saw this thread revived and was having a skim through the comments. One thing that didn’t appear here but which I’ve seen quite a lot in London at least is people setting up their own virtual clubs on MeetUp.com (which might sound like something else but isn’t!).
You can set up (almost) whatever type of group you want. I guess it works better in more populous areas where you can always find half a dozen other one-legged Bolivian orphan tandem stunt riders (I used to think I was the only one) but may be worth a look even in smaller places if you’re just after a half dozen people to join you for more mainstream stuff.
It’s not too expensive to set-up and it saves you the hassle of having to set-up your own website, find members, think about kit, AGMs, etc.
Who would organise the road
Who would organise the road racing and TT’s if we didn’t have clubs?
There are 3 clubs near me.
There are 3 clubs near me. The first one won’t allow membership unless you can hold an 18mph average up hill and down dale over 60 miles and are within acceptable BMI levels, the second won’t allow you to ride with them unless you drop £60 on a “team jersey” and the third (which I joined) is extremely cliquey and if your face doesn’t fit they drop you at the first opportunity and never look back. I’ve decided I’m happier riding alone. Less politics. Although I do still argue with myself…
Garmin Connect is a great
Garmin Connect is a great Club to join. Saves an awful lot of hassle and politics, and delivers most of the benefits of a non-virtual club.
Meet like minded riders?
Meet like minded riders?
I think I’ll pass on that one.
don simon wrote:
Same here, I’m a right arsehole, don’t need any more of them in my life 🙂
I read these posts and do
I read these posts and do wonder at so many of you.
i want to learn to ride better and so want to learn from others. Also I want to ride with people who know how to ride safely in a group. I want to be able to take part in TTs and other races. None of that would be possible without being with others – none of which would be possible without clubs, it is what clubs are all about.
im in a small club and on different days we try and ride different types of ride.
Without being in a club I would not have developed any where near as well as I have. Club/group riding is so much different to solo. Don’t get me wrong I do solo rides as well, but to me an essential part of riding is going fast in a group- that be definition for me is being in a club.
i have ridden in a group that was not club riders, (sportive and training camp) and it has been disastrous as people with strong legs and no idea of how to ride safely close together are dangerous.
get over yourselves, join a club, learn to be a better rider, help promote a great hobby/sport/activity
Due to back surgery 3 years
Due to back surgery 3 years ago, I’ve basically had to start from scratch fitness-wise on the bike this year. I’ve ridden just under 2000 miles since January and am gradually getting back up to speed, but it’s taking a lot of time and effort and I’ve still got a long way to go.
I’m planning to move back to Cornwall after many years of living away in the London area. I hoped that joining a local cycling would be a good way to form new friendships with like-minded people. Unfortunately, I simply can’t keep up on the club rides and feel bad for holding everyone up. This past Sunday, I was dropped within 5 miles. I’ve had this experience with both local clubs that I’d like to join (one of which I was last a member of 30 years ago!)
How would you guys react to someone turning up to a club ride on an e-bike? I’d just like to be able to get to the cafe stop and enjoy the banter, but I’m not sure on the etiquette and how others would react.
If you pull on the front I
If you pull on the front I wouldn’t mind!
Lived in a little village
Lived in a little village with a cycling club, quite a lot of knob heads in it that really put me off joining any club, although met a lot of club riders since then through audax and they’re definitely a one off.
Moved out to somewhere were there isn’t a club, but still see some of those guys and they never say morning back.
I think it’s best to ride
I think it’s best to ride with mate’s rather than a club riding the same boring route every week with moaning old farts.
Chrisjohn29 wrote:
I think it’s best to ride with mate’s rather than a club riding the same boring route every week with moaning old farts.
— Chrisjohn29
I mean, you could always join a club with more than one route? We’ve got 12 on rotation for example.
So, dear South Londoners, me
So, dear South Londoners, me and the missus hope to move to Brighton this summer, leaving her sister without her usual cycling buddies. She’s the strongest of the three of us, has a beautiful bike and lives in Clapham.
Which club? Can be towards Kent as that’s where she heads to ride with us (Peckham).
@Beecho: Dunno about your
@Beecho: Dunno about your sister but you & your wife should come and join us (Brighton Mitre) on one of our regular weekend rides once you’re settled.
@Beecho – Your sister should
@Beecho – Your sister should have a look at Penge CC – Have a look at the club rides page – http://pengecycleclub.org.uk/adults/sunday-morning-club-rides/
It’s an excellent club that caters for a huge mix in abilities and has a thriving female membership (I think they were claiming about 20% of the female entries for HOTA last sunday).
Rakkor wrote:
I’m heavily biased as both me and the better half are Penge members but all I can say is that’s it a fantastic club and I’ve never experienced any of the negative things that other commenters have mentioned.
Our ‘club’ is so awesome we
Our ‘club’ is so awesome we don’t call it a club, we’re a motley crew of reprobates. We jokingly call the original member Cap’n as he does most of the organising and fair play, when anyone new joins he’s always the one to sit back and improve them.
I’m the twat if there has to be one, in that I’ll find the odd daft challenge to aim for, or we’ll smash up the Cat and Fiddle and reconvene at the top. There’s been comments about looking out for the slowest rider but you also have to keep those with a goal in mind riding at the level they want to.
There’s maybe a pool of 16-20 of us, some weekends it’s 2 and the best we’ve had is probably around 14. We occasionally do a split ride where some start early and come back to the meet point or out to coffee then some go more challenging.
Never leave a man down is a heartily followed motto. Over time we’ve bought riders from zero to 100 mile challenges, raised tons for charity, lent bikes and shared bunk beds. If there wasn’t our ‘club’ I certainly wouldn’t do the amount of miles solo. Great friendships formed and memories created, if you’re not enjoying it then you’re doing it wrong!
I take the Marxist approach
I take the Marxist approach to clubs.
peakingintwomonths wrote:
You seize the means of production and crush the bourgeoisie pigs?
Bit much for my average Sunday to be perfectly honest.
Rich_cb wrote:
I take the Marxist approach to clubs.
— Rich_cb You seize the means of production and crush the bourgeoisie pigs? Bit much for my average Sunday to be perfectly honest.— peakingintwomonths
Graucho not Karl
Karl or Groucho?
Karl or Groucho?
If you happen to be in
If you happen to be in Melbourne, there are plenty of club and group rides happening everyday. Most are in the morning and there are also a few in the evening and starts within 10km from the CBD.
Morning rides are usually 60-90 minutes and will get you back in time for a quick coffee by 715-730a, with just enough time to head home or ride straight to work.
https://www.thegeekycyclist.com/tips/melbourne-bunch-rides/
In London like elsewhere the
In London like elsewhere the popularity of cycling is growing fast, one club that has been around a long time but has grown significantly over recent years is London Clarion Cycle Club. London Clarion Cycle club was originally founded back in 1895 and now has a very diverse membership. Rides are organised throughout the year and members have the option of 3rd party liability insurance if they haven’t already got it at a very affordable price. https://www.londonclarion.org.uk/
A good article and like any
A good article and like any sports/memberhsip club there always going to be differences of opinions, ‘posses’ & ‘cliques’ in any environment. I have cycled off & on for most of my life, but really took up serious Road Cycling about 10 years ago mostly cycling various routes solo or with a friend or two.
A year ago I joined a local Cycle Club, they offer over 4/5 different routes/lengths/speeds rides (including intro rides for newbies) every weekend, needless to say I will never be in the top Black/Orange rides! I was that young once!
However; the rest of the rides have proved to be a great way of meeting new people all of which I have to say have been very nice plus visiting a large number of excellent coffee shops, all with very nice cake! From being a Club member I have taken part in a Club organised Time Trial and Coaching sessions at a Velodrome. Two things I don’t think I would have done on my own.
All in all, I have enjoyed my first year in an organised Cycling Club, I still try and ride out twice a week by myself (yes, I am retired) &/or with others when available, sometimes even on previous Club routes that I have enjoyed.
Will I renew my Club membership? Yes of course, it’s fun.
“CTC also has a comprehensive
“CTC also has a comprehensive listing of affiliated clubs and local groups”
JHC; it’s been Cycling UK for ten years maybe? Why not call it the Bicycle Touring Club? Still the original and best, for everyone, not just racers, for all people who ride a bike.
Joined a club in its
Joined a club in its inaugural year. Was more a group of enthusiasts who went for a social ride every Wednesday during summer than a proper club. We had a beer after. No uniform code; no snobbery; personal responsibility for safety etc. The only rule was no one gets left behind. Saw some beautiful countryside and had some good conversations.
I was asked to help promote the club on social media. We went from eight members to over a hundred.
New committe members decided this season all riders have to wear helmets on all rides, including social rides. I don’t wear a helmet on social rides in line with the law and Cycling UK guidelines. Never have done in 42 years of cycling. I no longer am a member. Was very sad at first, having felt compelled to leave or comply with a rule I didn’t agree with. I argued helmet wearing wasn’t even in the top three things we could do to make cycling safer (rider attention, not taking risks when you can’t see around the corner, and understanding how to ride in a group being way more important).
I’d been an integral member of the club and put a lot of effort in establishing it. However, on reflection, I’m glad I’m out. Clubs have a tendency to drift into petty bureaucracy and some members come to define themselves by their roles and standing in the club.
Now I ride on my own or with a few friends now. Feels a lot safer and more how it was when we started out.
My problem with clubs is that
My problem with clubs is that there aren’t any that cater for my chronotype. I’m an evening person and prefer to exercise in the afternoon or evening, or at least certainly NOT at 8am on a weekend morning before I’ve had a relaxed breakfast, properly hydrated and had time to have a bowel movement! (mine are usually around 11:00). Why do all clubs seem to be full of early-birds / larks? For years I’ve been searching for one in my area that does regular weekend rides at a civilised time but they simply do not exist. I am a member of a club but effectively use it only for evening TTs in the summer.
Likewise. I’m an owl, so
Likewise. I’m an owl, so early morning rides have zero appeal.
Though I guess they tend to be early so folk can do ride and also do other stuff with family and friends on weekend [which is when most rides are].
Mid week rides tends to be evenings though, daylight permitting.
The difficulty I have is
The difficulty I have is being 75 years of age I cant seem to find anyone who rides at my snail pace. I’ve been out with the ‘slow’ club riders but I find I was holding them back and thus ruining their enjoyment. So I go out on my own.
What advantage would joining a club be fir for me?