England : Nottinghamshire An informal cycling club / group in Nottingham?

[Jezman]

Further to my original post in The Welcome Mat, does anyone know of any informal groups or clubs (if there is such a thing!) in the Nottingham area that do decent length weekend rides. I'm in a bit of a quandary over the whole cycle club thing as I don't feel particularly comfortable with their usual approach. Not interested in the competitive thing or running to strict time tables. I know I might be asking a bit much here but if anyone is doing anything along these lines...?

By decent length, I'm talking 50 plus and more than happy to go into the Derbyshire hills. Road or MTB, tea and cake.

 

[screenman]

Every club I know of has informal rides like you describe going on within them. For the sake of a few quid why not join one and then find out the real truth about clubs instead of the imaginary misinformation most people who have never belonged to one spout on about.

Our club has about 170 members and likely has over 30 rides a week that are not listed by members you could ride out with. Some of these rides will maybe have only 1 rider out, others a few more. I do not know of one other Lincoln Wheeler on this site, I would imagine you are reaching very few local riders on here, well not as many as you would by joining a club.

 

[Rob3rt]

Further to my original post in The Welcome Mat, does anyone know of any informal groups or clubs (if there is such a thing!) in the Nottingham area that do decent length weekend rides. I'm in a bit of a quandary over the whole cycle club thing as I don't feel particularly comfortable with their usual approach. Not interested in the competitive thing or running to strict time tables. I know I might be asking a bit much here but if anyone is doing anything along these lines...?

By decent length, I'm talking 50 plus and more than happy to go into the Derbyshire hills. Road or MTB, tea and cake.

What exactly is their usual approach?

 

[screenman]

Surely you know that already, it is a group of 30 which is the total club membership who do a 100 miler every Sunday flat out at 24 mph and never meet again until the next week. None of the members talk to each other or ride at any other time apart from Sunday, anyone who was not a member before the club started back in 1907 will not be welcomed to the clan.

 

[Hip Priest]

Why not email the club secretary? Tell him / her what you're looking for, and they'll probably be able to suggest a suitable ride. Once you've been out with them a couple of times you can decide whether the club is for you or not. Chances are your idea of their 'usual approach' is probably wrong.

 

[Jezman]

I guess "usual approach" was the wrong way to describe it but I do feel there are broad similarities amongst many road clubs. I guess I'm never going to get the full picture by scrutinizing the web sites of the local clubs and I suppose the only way to find out is try out with some. I just feel that I fall between the categories somewhat with the faster rides being too much and slower one's too short. That's going by the rides I'm seeing posted across the local clubs. I do feel there's a gap between the traditional road clubs and the CTC but I'm no nearer finding the people doing it and no, I'm not the organisational type so I'll pass on trying to set one up!

 

[P.H]

Have you tried Notts CTC? With three rides on a Sunday I'd be surprised if something didn't suitable, has to be worth trying anyway.
http://www.nottsctc.org.uk/runs_list/notts_ctc_runs_list.htm

 

[screenman]

Have you tried Notts CTC? With three rides on a Sunday I'd be surprised if something didn't suitable, has to be worth trying anyway.
http://www.nottsctc.org.uk/runs_list/notts_ctc_runs_list.htm

That club has 17+ rides on a Sunday, like do most other cycling clubs. Ours has 23, yes I know I am guessing the numbers but I bet I am not far off.

 

[Jezman]

I've been watching the Notts CTC runs page for some time and have resolved to give them another go. I didn't find the welcome that warm last time but I am now older by some years and possibly (or not) wiser! Hell, I've even bought a rear mudguard for the road bike to cement my resolve though will be drawing the line at the Carradice saddlebags. Maybe later.

 

[Pale Rider]

The patronizing comments made to the OP by some posters do nothing to dispel the notion the posters are trying to dispel.

Quite the reverse, they reinforce it.

 

[Dusty Bin]

Mapperley CC

 

[screenman]

The patronizing comments made to the OP by some posters do nothing to dispel the notion the posters are trying to dispel.

Quite the reverse, they reinforce it.

You are sure reading it different to me.

I hated beer, until I tried it.

 

[Jezman]

Sorry...OP? Original poster?

 

[screenman]

Sorry...OP? Original poster?

Yep.

 

[Hip Priest]

The patronizing comments made to the OP by some posters do nothing to dispel the notion the posters are trying to dispel.

Quite the reverse, they reinforce it.

I just see three club cyclists encouraging another cyclist to give their local club a try before writing it off. Like the OP, I had preconceived ideas about what my local club was like, so I put off joining it for ages. Then I decided to join them for a ride and it was great.

Like screenman says, there are loads of different types of rides happening all week. You'll never know until you go.