Do clubs mind if you can't ride with them regularly?

[StuAff]

There are at least two obvious reasons for that: one, the roads are emptier first thing in the morning; two, people have families and want to get back in time to spend the afternoon with them.

+1. My LBS's regular Sunday social sets off from the shop at about 6am.

 

[stephec]

My local club don't seem to mind that I never ever ride with them.

You're inviting some piss taking with that statement.

 

[postman]

There is only one member in my club.And he sometimes hates riding with himself.

 

[youngoldbloke]

I looked at my local club's site to try and get a feel for how far clubs go and how quickly - not that I'm ready to join yet! But, the main thing that struck me was how goddamn early every weekend club ride seems to set off! What is it with cyclists and early starts? The last thing that I want to do on a Saturday is have to get up at day-break just to go and ride!

Our Saturday leisure rides start at 10.00, Sunday rides 9.30 generally unless they're on the long side (and the 175km Audax at 8.00, but that's very much the exception). I think we just try to get to the coffee stops before 'lunch service' starts (and bacon sandwiches gain a garnish and become lunch instead of breakfast, and go up in price) and the routes are worked out accordingly.

 

[mjr]

Our Saturday leisure rides start at 10.00, Sunday rides 9.30 generally unless they're on the long side (and the 175km Audax at 8.00, but that's very much the exception). I think we just try to get to the coffee stops before 'lunch service' starts (and bacon sandwiches gain a garnish and become lunch instead of breakfast, and go up in price) and the routes are worked out accordingly.

The group I ride with usually starts weekend rides at 10am, although some 100km and 100 mile challenge rides start earlier to ride more in daylight. We aim for lunch stops rather than mere coffee, although the stewed cabbage and dry meat fetishists encouraging more Sunday carveries has removed many pub stops and lately even some garden centres from our rides.

There are at least two obvious reasons for that: one, the roads are emptier first thing in the morning; two, people have families and want to get back in time to spend the afternoon with them.

One: use nicer roads and push local government to discourage motoring on more; Two: bring the family on rides and spend whole days with them instead of only afternoons.

 

[smutchin]

One: use nicer roads and push local government to discourage motoring on more;

Gosh, thanks for the not-at-all-patronising suggestion. If only I'd realised it was so easy, I'd have done it years ago.

Two: bring the family on rides and spend whole days with them instead of only afternoons.

Yeah, of course, because I get exactly the same out of a ride with the family as I get out of a club ride. That Wiggo would do well to listen to you - he was always complaining about not seeing his family throughout 2012, maybe he should have just sacked off the Tour and gone for a ride with his wife and kids instead.

 

[rivers]

Our normal Saturday club run starts at 7am. A few of the more keen types do an early lap around 5:30. Sunday rides start at a more sociable hour between 8 and 9. Bank holiday rides tend to start at various times of the time (sometimes one ride will go out, sometimes there will be several).
I don't mind the 7am start as I'm not much of a sleeper anyway. It means I'm home around 10am if I don't extend my ride, and get the rest of the day with my wife. She prefers my cycling to my diving as I'm not gone all day.

 

[Blue Hills]

ah the old diving alibi

 

[mjr]

Gosh, thanks for the not-at-all-patronising suggestion. If only I'd realised it was so easy, I'd have done it years ago.

You're welcome, but no one is saying it's easy. Members of our group have been working on it 25+ years as a group and some for much longer. Giving in to the motorised terrorists and cycling in the early morning like many clubs do is an awful abandonment of other cyclists. And what happens in winter? Every ride starts in the dark?

Yeah, of course, because I get exactly the same out of a ride with the family as I get out of a club ride. That Wiggo would do well to listen to you - he was always complaining about not seeing his family throughout 2012, maybe he should have just sacked off the Tour and gone for a ride with his wife and kids instead.

Well, he might not have needed steroids in his bum and who knows what in jiffy bags delivered by coaches acting as couriers!

But sorry for misjudging you - I had no idea you stood a realistic chance of becoming the next Wiggo!