Local cycling clubs

[Justinslow]

I joined my local cycling club just over a year ago. For me it's been a very positive experience, meeting new people, sharing views and advice and taking part in new activities such as my first "evening TT" club championship and open events with other club members. Then there's the "apres" bike stuff - the club meals and social do's and the healthy junior section where my kids can get involved.
I suppose it depends on what cycling you do commuting, leisure, competitive etc whether you join a club or not or whether you have friends already in a club like I did.
Any views, opinions, negatives, long servers, loners, horror stories?

 

[mjr]

I rejoined KLWNBUG when I moved back here a few years ago and this time I actually started going on the rides, at first on a bike borrowed from another member until I transported mine here in a van. I'm often a Tail-End Charlie and sometimes act as Wayfinder General when the more experienced riders aren't available or it's a special event with a fiddly route (I like maps). Most of the members are pretty relaxed and easy-going and the rides are very relaxed - I call it a freewheelers group since hearing of another from @Fab Foodie. It's also the local CycleNation group but most CN groups campaign without regular rides.

I've also been to "all welcome" events of a local sportivers' group (a crude summary but roughly how it seemed to me) and a local BC road club. The sportivers were pretty welcoming until near the end when I think one member's frustration with a small group of freewheelers became too much - that was OK but that style of cycling's not really my thing. I've also seen recriminations on forums a few times about "dropping" riders in the middle of the countryside by their rides, contrary to the we-don't-abandon-people message I think they used to send out. I've not seen recriminations lately, but I'm not sure whether they still send that message out.

The only people who seemed friendly at the road club's event were people who had recently joined it - its leaders seemed either busy with organising things (fair enough) or just blanked me, which meant I had little idea what was going on and just rattled around doing my own thing for a bit and then left. Maybe it's because I don't look like a racer (wrong bike, wrong clothes) or maybe I need to be pushy and keep asking the leaders what's going on but that's not really me either.

I've still not been out with the local CTC yet. There is what I think is an all-welcome ride this weekend but at 12mph they go too fast for me to be sure I can keep up, I didn't get a straight answer about what happens if I can't and I don't particularly want to be doing 30 miles home into a headwind alone or making someone stay with me if they're not really willing to

Nevertheless, I'd say is that I think there are groups around in most places for most people who want to ride with others, no matter what style. Even within the above groups, there are sometimes several types of rides on offer. If you've any questions or concerns, get in touch with the group beforehand - it should help them update their public information with what newcomers will want to know. The main reason not to is if you really want to ride alone, isn't it?

(Edited to fix a nickname, an apostrophe and disambiguate a "that".)

 

[mjr]

Fluffed @Fab Foodie's nickname... admitting it here so a notification is sent

 

[Fab Foodie]

Fluffed @Fab Foodie's nickname... admitting it here so a notification is sent

Cheers!

When I was looking for clubs there were only sporting clubs and the CTC groups. Until my cardiac issues I rode with Didcot Phoenix and really enjoyed it, TT's training rides, the odd club run. There were a few 'old-hands' who took me under their wing and that helped tremendously. Following my heart issues I was a little slower and the training crew were good enough to give me a head-start to warm-up! Eventually I looked after the newbies that came along.

An opportunity arose out of the blue to put on a cycle festival in some 5 or so years ago and on the back of that started 'Abingdon Freewheeling'. Not so much a club but more a fraternity of cyclists. There are few rules, we're affiliated to the CTC and we have rides from 15 mile mellows to 100 plus milers, night rides, Sunday brunch rides, mellow to fast depending on who wants to do what. Everything is done via fb and it's pretty much a case of roll-up, sort yerselves out and ride.
Thursday night rides finish in the *ahem* Clubhouse (local pub) for beer, bonhomie and free chip butties. Membership is £4 per year and it's pretty relaxed and welcoming with many social events thrown-in.
Simples.

 

[Pale Rider]

My group sounds similar to Foodie's and Mr Jay's.

It is a group - not a club - and meets every Sunday morning.

No subs, no membership, you just turn up on whichever Sundays suit.

There are fortnightly planned rides, and alternate Sundays are 'free' - a group decision is taken on the route for that day.

Our leader is a former Sustrans ranger and has been cycling the patch for 50-odd years, so he has more route knowledge than you could shake several Garmins at.

He has always been very keen on what is now called 'inclusivity', hence the turn up and go approach.

Most of the group ride flat bar hybrids and the pace is modest.

Our longest regular circuit is 58 miles, which takes all day.

I don't think most of the group would know what 'dropping' means, we ride, the ride strings out a bit, we stop for a regroup and ride some more.

There are extra-curricular rides, @annedonnelly joined us for one of our occasional Saturday excursions.

The group does an annual three-day tour - Reivers, Coast and Castles, etc - which I don't, but me and a couple of the others usually ride to meet them on their way back on the Sunday.

One of the things I like is there is little or no sniping, nastiness or disagreements.

The leader suggests we go one way, and the rest of us just do it.

I suspect this easy going attitude is partly because most members are 50 years plus, and can't be bothered with petty bickering.

I'm in that category, so have been welcomed and have fitted in nicely.

There have been one or two riders who turn up and clearly want to go faster.

That doesn't happen, so they either go slower, or don't turn up again - usually the latter.

Some of the group socialise together, I'm not so keen on that, but do turn out for our Christmas dinner.

All-in-all, the group works a treat for the 30 or so regular attenders.

 

[derrick]

http://www.cc-london.com/ This is my club loads going on, A really friendly bunch, Two rides go out most Saturdays a medium paced and a slightly faster one. Sunday rides are split into two or three groups depending on numbers who turn up, I lead a lot of the Saturday rides seam to have someone new most weeks, People move up to faster groups as they get quicker, Have had some really good socials, And have met a few good friends who i ride with in the week. A great club.

 

[screenman]

This is the club I belong too, we even have members who do not cycle any more. there is also way to much going on too list.

www.lincolnwheelers.co.uk

 

[mjr]

My group sounds similar to Foodie's and Mr Jay's.

There have been one or two riders who turn up and clearly want to go faster.

That doesn't happen, so they either go slower, or don't turn up again - usually the latter.

There is a constant temptation for groups to get quicker and quicker and quicker as most new riders get fitter and able to go faster. The Tail-Ender needs a heck of a brass neck not to rush anyone who's at the back and the Wayfinder needs to look back sometimes to realise whether they need to regroup, or - in extreme cases - split the ride. If it's just one or two, it's always OK for people who really want to go quicker to ride off the front (need to get home for a deadline or don't have enough clothes to keep warm during regroups) but they have to accept they must find their own way.

This is the club I belong too, we even have members who do not cycle any more. there is also way to much going on too list.

www.lincolnwheelers.co.uk

So no views, opinions, negatives, long servers, loners, horror stories? It'd be nice to keep saying why we ride with groups and not have this become another list of groups.

 

[screenman]

No negatives, great bunch of people, I have only been a member for 28 years so not a long server. Horror stories, none that I know of. Plenty of members do not do the organised rides but most will welcome company.

Great wrinkly group ride each Wednesday finishing up in a pub for lunch, evening training sessions, circuit training sessions with many over 60 joining in.

Plenty of non racing members along with racing members, so much going on it would be easy to be involved with a ride or meet up 7 days a week.

Just watch out for some of the crafty old guys in their seventies they certainly know how to ride a bike and give out great advice.

 

[Lemond]

My group sounds similar to Foodie's and Mr Jay's.

It is a group - not a club - and meets every Sunday morning.

No subs, no membership, you just turn up on whichever Sundays suit.

There are fortnightly planned rides, and alternate Sundays are 'free' - a group decision is taken on the route for that day.

Our leader is a former Sustrans ranger and has been cycling the patch for 50-odd years, so he has more route knowledge than you could shake several Garmins at.

He has always been very keen on what is now called 'inclusivity', hence the turn up and go approach.

Most of the group ride flat bar hybrids and the pace is modest.

Our longest regular circuit is 58 miles, which takes all day.

I don't think most of the group would know what 'dropping' means, we ride, the ride strings out a bit, we stop for a regroup and ride some more.

There are extra-curricular rides, @annedonnelly joined us for one of our occasional Saturday excursions.

The group does an annual three-day tour - Reivers, Coast and Castles, etc - which I don't, but me and a couple of the others usually ride to meet them on their way back on the Sunday.

One of the things I like is there is little or no sniping, nastiness or disagreements.

The leader suggests we go one way, and the rest of us just do it.

I suspect this easy going attitude is partly because most members are 50 years plus, and can't be bothered with petty bickering.

I'm in that category, so have been welcomed and have fitted in nicely.

There have been one or two riders who turn up and clearly want to go faster.

That doesn't happen, so they either go slower, or don't turn up again - usually the latter.

Some of the group socialise together, I'm not so keen on that, but do turn out for our Christmas dinner.

All-in-all, the group works a treat for the 30 or so regular attenders.

Sounds perfect mate. Very envious.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

Join a Clarion club - they're brilliant

 

[Pale Rider]

Sounds perfect mate. Very envious.

As a community, the group is certainly functioning very well at the moment.

But it seems to me that functioning is a very fragile thing.

It would only take a couple of knackers to somehow gain a bit of traction and the group could fall apart, or at least cease to function so well.

I imagine most clubs - not just cycling ones - go through phases of highs and lows.

To prove the point, the group was formed from the ashes of a CTC branch which fell apart due to ego clashes and some quite nasty squabbling among the (bearded) members.

 

[Lemond]

As a community, the group is certainly functioning very well at the moment.

But it seems to me that functioning is a very fragile thing.

It would only take a couple of knackers to somehow gain a bit of traction and the group could fall apart, or at least cease to function so well.

I imagine most clubs - not just cycling ones - go through phases of highs and lows.

To prove the point, the group was formed from the ashes of a CTC branch which fell apart due to ego clashes and some quite nasty squabbling among the (bearded) members.

I hope your group continues to thrive. My local club seems very serious...lots of stipulations about speeds and so on - all of which is fine, just not really what I'm looking for. I have no interest in time trials or sportives and the like; couldn't give them the dedication they deserve. Just looking for a few group social rides.

There's a great LBS not too far away that organises group rides every now and then, but the last time I went along the leader on the day was an absolute nobber, and has put me off any further participation. Six of us in his 50 mile group all bailed mid ride and joined another group doing a 25 miler.

 

[screenman]

Lemond, have you spoken to your local club? you may find a few serious people in it, but a lot less serious. Having been involved with cycling clubs since 1970 I can honestly say it is only the racing teams/clubs that are 100% serious and those you will have to be good to get into.

 

[Justinslow]

I must admit the members of my club do seem more into TT/racing or audax there doesn't seem to be much "middle ground". There's usually a fair paced base miles ride going out on a Sunday (18mph) organised through FB couple of weeks ago we went off road with the mtb's because it was quite icy. Then there's the "usual" slower paced cafe ride also on a Sunday morning at the speed of the slowest rider. Often in the summer there's a midweek "chaingang" ride for the racers or this time of year "laps around our local town" ride because it's well lit, around a 5 mile lap.
It tends to suit me as I'm a wannabe TTer and quite like the faster rides. Club membership also gives you 10% off at all the local LBS's.