Julia9054
Guru
- Location
- Knaresborough
Cheers! Have just signed up. I have never been a member of a club and often cycle by myself. I struggle with thumb strength and getting tyres back on after mending punctures so this is peace of mind for £24!
I think im done with my club
- Thread starter cyberknight
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
I have ETA as well. Never had to call on it yet and around our neck of the woods would expect a lift home would be shorter in a lot of instances than being taken to a train station etc.
Jameshow
Veteran
HobbesOnTour
Guru
- Location
- España
Maybe "Am I doing anything wrong?" is not as useful as "What can I/we do?" ? Speed seems to be one area that could be adapted.
Why are they planning a campaign. What's your involvement? It's "your" ride, isn't it?
Can you ask them why?
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
I don't have a rescue option. My long rides are generally planned with railway bailouts in mind, and that's why I prefer to ride on Saturdays (better train service). I pretty much always know where and how far the nearest station is.
Like you I carry excessive amounts of spares and tools. I've only ever twice ended up with an un-ridable bike. Both times I was within less than an hour's walk from a station. I was incredibly lucky on one of the occasions that a nice man in a big vehicle (a van or a range rover) pulled over and asked if I wanted a lift, and unbelievably happened to be going to near my home. The other time I had to half-push and half-carry my bike for about an hour to the station. That was no fun, especially as I was a bit damaged, as well as the bike. I may have a look at ETA, who @DCLane mentioned.
But that's completely off topic. I guess it's just unfortunate that @cyberknight is alone in the club wanting to do rides of that length, of that pace, on that day. Not the other club members' fault really.
Ages ago I was a member of a club. They did nice rides, on a Saturday, at my pace. A nide friendly lot. But the slow paced rides were too short for what I wanted to do, and the people who did longer rides were all too fast for me. I took to joining the slow rides and when they turned for home I'd carry on and continue my own ride. I left the club in the end. Not the club's fault, just that it wasn't for me.
I suppose I could have volunteered to organise some long slow rides. But the idea of me organising anything is a non-starter. I'd be hopeless.
Juan Kog
permanently grumpy
You really should have volunteered , just advised participants that extra equipment may be required.
Such as a tent ,sleeping bag and a stove .
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
You really should have volunteered , just advised participants that extra equipment may be required.
Such as a tent ,sleeping bag and a stove .
What??? No tents! I did my first and last camping expedition in about 1978.
vickster
Legendary Member
Can you join ETA rescue as above? I’ve had for a few years, pay £18 I think. Have used twice thanks to punctures a bit too far from home/poor timing. I’ve just called them, agreed to just get an Uber and claim back soon after
Last edited:
OP
OP
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
i will have to have a look
I wont be out this weekend anyway , mrs ck is working sunday to help out and i cant disappear for 4-5 hours with kids at home , technically i could but its not the done thing to leave sprogs at home unattended with the eldest although capable with the ASD and mini ck 2 off school anyway with the lurgy
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
That's a sample size of one. Even within the "organised" rides, there's full BC, whatever their socials are called now, Clarion, CUK Member Groups, Affiliated, Community and probably more besides. Then there's freewheeling groups. Lots of choice.
DogmaStu
Senior Member
Sample size of two actually. I also read the Rules for other Clubs in the general vicinity. All largely the same. I get it, once you make friends with members of the Club you can arrange your own rides outside of the organised ones. I'm not seriously looking though - I have my Club and Team abroad that I'm perfectly happy with.
Here I'm happy to cycle on my own and steal everyone's KOM's.
Alex321
Veteran
- Location
- South Wales
I enjoy riding on my own, it's great to spend time outdoors in your own thoughts, own pace etc. My longest rides have been alone.
In Portugal, I am a member of a Club and a Race Team. Our Club rides are great, a group of friends who train together. I also ride with my Coach when there, mostly just the two of us. Then there are other, larger Groups I join and it's really nice.
Here in the UK I joined a Club locally last year and was utterly turned off by the whole 'rules and regulations' aspect; far too regimented for me! Briefings! Health & Safety! I mean, obviously use signals and watch out for each other but the riding side-by-side, not over-lapping wheels, specific signals. Army-like formation precision...spare me!So I only went to one ride and never again.
I've since moved and joined another local Club...unlikely to ever meet them, only joined to pinch their routes while I learn the best local roads.
Can't wait to get back to living in Portugal permanently again in the next year or two - much more informal and fun.
I doubt Portugal is any more "informal and fun" than most clubs in the UK in that respect.
You just happened on a club which wasn't.
The one I'm a member of is nothing like the one you describe. No briefings, no regimentation or specific rules. Obviously, as you say, basic group etiquette is expected.
Most rides are a case of somebody posting up on the group facebook page something like "Ride Saturday, start 9:30 at xxx, 25-30 miles probably around 13mph, but no drop, who wants to join me".
A route isn't even always chosen until everybody going has turned up, and hardly ever posted in advance unless there is some specific target for it.
DogmaStu
Senior Member
Yours sounds like the kind of Club I prefer.
I joined a Club in North Leeds last year and it is as I described. So are the ones nearby when I checked. I joined another Club near York recently and see the same applies. I'm talking about British Cycling affiliated Clubs where they would like you to wear their kit etc, not a group of mates arranging a bike ride by Whatsapp.
My UK Club experience is therefore not a sample of one but several sadly. I get advance route maps, times etc - there are Group Leaders, Group Organisers, AGM's etc. Rides are split into ability levels from 12mph ave to 20mph. They are quite regimented in organisation and ride etiquette.
Yes, outside of the official Club rides, groups do get together for informal rides if they want to - I went on a few myself last year where it is more to my preference.
In Portugal, my Club and Group rides are entirely informal in comparison. One group I ride with is run by a former Pro who simply posts on the Whatsapp group that he is heading out at a time and place and all welcome - we get up to around 30-40 cyclists sometimes. One particular annual ride with zero organisation attracts literally hundreds. Do you get that many cyclists riding in a peloton in the UK outside of anything organised?
Another group with a current Pro often attending leaves every Sunday from a BP garage in Portimao and it's never advertised, it's just an established ride where there will always be a few to a lot turning up.
If you are ever in the Algarve, look up the Velochique Club; mostly UK expats, meet Wednesday and Saturday's for a ride out from Alvor BP. Often a few tourists on each ride.
Just back from a second trip to Portugal and would suggest that :
a) the weather is a lot better so encourages more outdoor activities and
b) the drivers are more considerate. As good as Spanish drivers.
Too many stressed Eric's on UK roads wanting to get somewhere ( a coffin) fast.
a) the weather is a lot better so encourages more outdoor activities and
b) the drivers are more considerate. As good as Spanish drivers.
Too many stressed Eric's on UK roads wanting to get somewhere ( a coffin) fast.
OP
OP
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
I am not going to volunteer to lead rides anymore , this weekend is out anyway but we will see if im missed
