Club run behaviour

[simon briggs]

I joined a local club that is much more social and less serious. 30m run on a saturday with coffee after if wanted, steady pace and a mix of riders - they also run a special needs group that take it a little easier. Very friendly. No issues around kit or bike

In comparison my first experience with a club was a well know outfit who run one of the biggest sportifs in Kent. I found them to be very unfriendly and a bit to serious, but I suppose you can't tar everyone with the same brush.

 

[Leodis]

So many rides its hard to say. We run A, B to C (also + rides) rides on weekends, we also have a sat social where non-members are welcome of a steady pace of 12-14mph, around 40-45 miler to the same location with coffee and cake at Bolton abbey. The rides are all posted on our Facebook page no later than Thursday morning by ride leaders so we all can see them.

We also have training rides Tuesday & Thursdays, Tuesdays CG have 4 groups with beginners and noobs in that with an average of around 20mph and Thursday for the more experienced rider of between 24-26mph CG.

Great club with no pretence.

http://albarosacc.com/rides/training/

 

[derrick]

20 mph average for a newbie, there must be some fit people up your way.
Think i will stick to riding down south.

 

[Dayvo]

I hate club runs that stop at a cafe, Im here to ride....

I don't mind the cycling, but I don't want it to interfere with my cake stops!

I joined a club when I lived in Stockholm and went for one ride with them.

I didn't have a road bike at that time, and was testing the water to see if being a member would motivate me more to get one.

I was out on my Scott hybrid and the looks I got from nearly everyone was a bit of a surprise. We were out on a 50 km ride, and although my bike was a lot slower and heavier than their's, my legs, and lungs, were a lot better than most of the other riders.

They didn't need to say anything afterwards, their expressions said it all, but I won't bother with a club again: maybe, at best, a group of friends or acquaintances at some stage. Otherwise I prefer my own company.

 

[Oaklegs]

The Bike shop group that I ride with have introduced the following code of ethics which seems to work for us. http://www.tourdecure.com.au/pages/...my-Local-Tour-De-Cure/TDC-Etiquette-Guide.pdf
Years ago (like 60) I rode with London based clubs The Shamrock and the Marsh and good fun was had by all on a clubrun but of course there is far more traffic these days.

 

[Apollonius]

Lots to like in that Aussie document. We don't have too much of a problem with plank bridges, but I do second the point about not "over-calling" hazards. If every imperfection in the road surface is called, it becomes like "crying wolf".

Our biggest problem is with the range in ability. One incline and we spread for a distance. It is so much easier to keep a bunch safe if they can get quickly across major roads, for example. Some of our octogenarians struggle with this for some reason....

 

[youngoldbloke]

Probably more realistic to call 'NO hole' on most of our rides .

 

[derrick]

Cafe stop at about 20 to 25 miles (halfway). No formal time in front, although the ride leader usually goes there as he is the only one who knows the way generally. No-one gets dropped, stop for all mechanicals etc.......pace of the slowest rider. Those who need to go faster can have a burst up the hills, and just wait at the top.

Cycle Club Sudbury. All welcome!!

That's the way we do it.

 

[dellzeqq]

When riding with larger groups, does your club have a protocol for splitting into smaller units to allow motorists to overtake in stages ?

no. But we do have a protocol on mudguards.

 

[Apollonius]

Really? Compulsory or banned?

 

[youngoldbloke]

Common courtesy really - if you go into a cafe and transfer crap from your muddy arse all over their pastel upholstery you (and the rest of the club) won't be wecome in future. Never mind about the experience of riding behind a mudguard less bike. So we have a mudguards on winter rides/wet days policy - not rigorously enforced but certainly encouraged. And if you haven't got guards bring a bin liner to sit on!

 

[Oaklegs]

no. But we do have a protocol on mudguards.

There is absolutely no one here in Perth that I know with mudguards other than those personal clip on things as the bikes just don't have clearance or facilities for fitting them. I recently threw away a lot of Carlton tyre savers that I have had for 30 years because I just could not fit them to the brakes now.

 

[Tynan]

my only source for waving cars through is my driving instructor but he said that a hand signal was just that, you were responsible for what you made of it and the decision you made. In my experience of group riding the good driver that hangs back will be grateful to be waved through and its not exactly fun having a car waiting to pass you

good riding is taking control of situations, holding the car back when not safe, waving them through when it is rather than leaving them to judge it

I hate the whole liability argument

 

[Trull]

I started a fb and Strava group for the local villagers to get together, it works nicely with a ride pretty much each weekend - last ride was towards Stonehaven, then over the Slug Road before taking in the Gammel and that magnificent twisty descent into Strachan and hot beverages in Raemoir. Admittedly there was a certain amount of "liquid sunshine" on the last leg but everyone enjoyed themselves and we averaged a steady 21kph. I've also generated an extra fellow CTC member who now goes out on their runs to boot. The trick seems to be to keep it simple, and not boss people.

 

[suzeworld]

We've looked at bringing more controls into our (I'm club runs secretary for Sotonia CC) runs but it throws up all sorts of issues with liability and insurance and tends to put people off leading rides. We have a guide to club run etiquette on the web site which we ask that people read before their first one

Could you post a link to that. please?