puts me off joining a cycling club..

[Glow worm]

Do you see @Fab Foodie's club in all the kit and roaring about the place? There's more than one type of club.

Yes I did indeed and it looks like great fun, certainly more like the kind of thing I'd consider. A good laugh in other words. I also met FF recently at the Cambridge get together and can confirm he's a top bloke too .

 

[screenman]

Yes but I would prefer not to, just in case they take it the wrong way. If you search for things like club and "do not freewheel" or "keep pedalling", then you'll find various clubs and possibly even the ones both here and where I used to live.


I think a few do, but it seems more common to have different clubs for different styles than it used to be, possibly because of control-freak attempts to impose inappropriate rules on fun rides encouraging them to set up as independent clubs.

A few you say, well I am in good contact with at least 5+ clubs all have members who race and members who cycle as slow as you do, in fact they even have members who no longer cycle at all..

 

[mjr]

A few you say, well I am in good contact with at least 5+ clubs all have members who race and members who cycle as slow as you do, in fact they even have members who no longer cycle at all..

But do they have club runs at 10mph without labelling them "beginners", "wrinklies" or similar insults? And you've more than five near you?

But I acknowledged some exist. There's just far more that turn away riders slower than, say, 13mph or have rules that are irrelevant to non-race groups, such as e bike or tricycle bans.

 

[screenman]

But do they have club runs at 10mph without labelling them "beginners", "wrinklies" or similar insults? And you've more than five near you?

But I acknowledged some exist. There's just far more that turn away riders slower than, say, 13mph or have rules that are irrelevant to non-race groups, such as e bike or tricycle bans.

They certainly do have rides at 13 mph without names. Have you heard of Pete Holland he is one of many trike riders in our club, most local clubs around here have trike riders or e bike riders.


The wrinkles invented the name themselves they have a good sense of humour, and are a great bunch.

From the way you write I would say you have a limited experience of cycling clubs.

I said 5 I have close contact with there are many more and all local.

 

[mjr]

They certainly do have rides at 13 mph without names.

Not 13. 10, please. 13 would mean a good health day, or average health and very easy route. Was that an accidental misreading or are you trying to give an example of why freewheeling riders feel we don't fit into many racing clubs?

Have you heard of Pete Holland

NOTTOMH sorry.

From the way you write I would say you have a limited experience of cycling clubs.

Of course it's not as wide as yours, but I've been to the events of many. Only ridden with perhaps six of them in the last six years because I'm either not fast enough or excluded by rules from others.

 

[screenman]

So you have been to events, now if you come to one of ours then the best you are likely to meet on a good day is about 25% of the total membership. So that would give you a very limited view of what goes on amongst the others.

Want a bit of company on a sub 10mph ride, just ask and you would get plenty of offers.

 

[stiffknees]

A group of three riders came past me wearing those mankini outfits

I didn't think to say hi....

 

[screenman]

Can you identify the "racing cycling club" you have experience of which has led you to that 'thought'? Many clubs have levels of ride from the 'A' ride (faster and longer) up (or down if you prefer) though the spectrum. The number of different rides tends to be determined by demand and participation, and posters above have illustrated that. There's space for all sorts (of clubs) and none. The important thing is that people can enjoy their cycling, in groups or alone, or a combination, in accordance with personal preference.

There was no way that question was going to get answered, good try though.

 

[Mrs bean]

I go out on my old fashioned girlie bike, complete with wicker basket, my son has a snazzy new bike, we pedal off happy as can be, whenever I see another cyclist whether they are in jeans or proper posh cycle gear I shout a cheery hello, think it stuns some of the posh ones but politeness cost nothing, needless to say my son is highly embarrassed and pedals faster

 

[mjr]

There was no way that question was going to get answered, good try though.

I've PM'd you both the nearby clubs but the names really aren't relevant to the discussion.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Yes I did indeed and it looks like great fun, certainly more like the kind of thing I'd consider. A good laugh in other words. I also met FF recently at the Cambridge get together and can confirm he's a top bloke too .

 

[Bollo]

You get any group of people together and there's going to be a dynamic, which may or may not be pleasant.

I'm not a member of my local racing-focused club but have turned up for the odd ad hoc ride and more recently some TTs and they've been uniformly friendly and uncliquey. I'm sure I could find a club where they'd shun me like a leper, but that's a function of its members, not the type of cycling the club supports.

In defence of the faster club rides - I've only ever participated in a few serious groups and there's and there's an immense amount of concentration required. As was once said of US President Gerald Ford, I can't walk and chew gum at the same time, so exchanging pleasantries while hanging a few inches off someone's wheel is just asking for trouble.

 

[Fab Foodie]

There was no way that question was going to get answered, good try though.

My first club was Didcot Phoenix. Pretty competition/ fast orientated like many a traditional road clubs. TTs, fast training close group rides and pretty strenuous Sunday Club rides. No prisoners taken. Great bunch, learned a lot and became very fit. But, nothing for slower but equally keen riders, no weekly social stuff (unless you raced). Good though it was it didn't give me the variety of cycling experiences I was seeking.

Freewheeling however allows anyone to suggest a type of ride and for interested parties to jump aboard and go do it without the need for comitees or suchlike. For that reason we attract a wide range of riders and different riding experiences. People stick ideas on our fb pages and it takes off from there. Simples.

 

[screenman]

Freewheeling sounds very much like some members of our club, but if you saw other members out you would think it was a racing club. My point is every club I know of have many members who do different things.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Freewheeling sounds very much like some members of our club, but if you saw other members out you would think it was a racing club. My point is every club I know of have many members who do different things.

Sounds good! What's great these days is that there is choice and variety. More so than in the past ....