# Worth the £41 to join CTC?



## Monsieur (31 Oct 2012)

I'm a recreational and touring cyclist so belonging to a local club is not for me as I don't race or enjoy group rides.
Looked at the CTC - apart from access to their classified ads is there a benefit in paying the £41 membership?


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## GrumpyGregry (31 Oct 2012)

Third Party Insurance?
A magazine?


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## oldfatfool (31 Oct 2012)

Access to their route and touring library


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## e-rider (31 Oct 2012)

sounds overpriced to me but they do a lot of good national campaigning for cycling so you would be supporting that

I was a member about 10 years ago and the cost was a tiny fraction of that

The new breed of cyclist that has emerged over the last 5-10 years seem to have very deep pockets, and as a result many things cycling have become very expensive


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## numbnuts (31 Oct 2012)

I'm in


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## Jdratcliffe (31 Oct 2012)

looked at ctc but joined the BC instead main reason is half the price!


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## Hilldodger (31 Oct 2012)

Jdratcliffe said:


> looked at ctc but *joined the BC instead main reason is half the price!*


 

For now. Won't be for long, though - money grabbing b********


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## Davidc (31 Oct 2012)

Insurance is worthwhile.
Means no hassle if you join rides run by affiliated groups (including dellzeq's FNRttC which I've never been on)
and
Like it or not it is one of the big boys the government talks to so you're contributing to preservation of UK cycling.

Cheapest option is 5 year membership if you can afford it.


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## carolonabike (31 Oct 2012)

15% discount at Cotswold Outdoors  There are other discounts too but I can't remember what they are.


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## ianrauk (31 Oct 2012)

Buy a £41 membership and get one of their free mind numbingly dull magazines. Well worth it.


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## dellzeqq (31 Oct 2012)

Jdratcliffe said:


> looked at ctc but joined the BC instead main reason is half the price!


which is still a neat 67% more expensive than joining the CTC through an affiliate.........and you still get the bike shop discounts. Still.......too late now


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## dellzeqq (31 Oct 2012)

ianrauk said:


> Buy a £41 membership and get one of their free mind numbingly dull magazines. Well worth it.


Oi! Soon to be carrying an article on LonJoG!


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## ianrauk (31 Oct 2012)

dellzeqq said:


> Oi! Soon to be carrying an article on LonJoG!


 

Well us bleedin' cheapskate affiliates wont be reading it then will we.


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## compo (31 Oct 2012)

London Cycling Campaign, for which you don't have to live or ride in London, £17 if under 16, over 60, or unwaged. £34 otherwise.


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## ohnovino (31 Oct 2012)

You can get £10 back when you join British Cycling via TopCashBack, bring the cost down to £14.


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## HLaB (31 Oct 2012)

Just renewed mine but next year I might not bother I needed a BC silver license anyway for TT'ing in Scotland, my BC license may supersede it in future. I was gong to buy a new front light for £80, I may make do now with my cheaper smart 35 lux.


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## dellzeqq (31 Oct 2012)

ianrauk said:


> Well us bleedin' cheapskate affiliates wont be reading it then will we.


you think I'm not going to send it out..........?


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## thom (1 Nov 2012)

dellzeqq said:


> you think I'm not going to send it out..........?


Have you ever thought of submitting something to The Ride journal on an fnrttc ?


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## Andrew_P (1 Nov 2012)

So how do I go about finding a CTC affilate link for the deal prices as my BC mebership runs out this month. I only went with BC for the Halfords 10% off of vouchers deal.


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## dellzeqq (1 Nov 2012)

LOCO said:


> So how do I go about finding a CTC affilate link for the deal prices as my BC mebership runs out this month. I only went with BC for the Halfords 10% off of vouchers deal.


you have to find an affiliate willing to have you


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## dellzeqq (1 Nov 2012)

thom said:


> Have you ever thought of submitting something to The Ride journal on an fnrttc ?


BitDefender ain't having that one, Thom!


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## thom (1 Nov 2012)

dellzeqq said:


> BitDefender ain't having that one, Thom!


really ? That's odd...
Here's a review


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## DRHysted (1 Nov 2012)

dellzeqq said:


> you have to find an affiliate willing to have you


Well that would be me bugga'd then.


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## dellzeqq (1 Nov 2012)

DRHysted said:


> Well that would be me bugga'd then.


http://www.fccc.org.uk/about-the-club/member-offers
http://www.christchurchbicycleclub.org/page13.htm

(later edit) hhmm... these clubs are charging £10 and up to join. Perhaps we should up our subs from the super-cheap £2

btw - CTC full membership offer now £16 for students


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## GrumpyGregry (1 Nov 2012)

thom said:


> Have you ever thought of submitting something to The Ride journal on an fnrttc ?


FNRttC would be right up their street. Get Claudine to write it!


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## Ron-da-Valli (16 Dec 2012)

I'm a CTC member and think it well worth while. I participate in many Chester & North Wales DA rides and activities. I also take part in the Tourist competition, which our club has won yet again and I have finished 9th overall. It gives me a focus for my cycling and I enjoy riding in new areas with different riders.


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## Ron-da-Valli (16 Dec 2012)

The only thing that I don't like about the CTC is it's charity status. Whenever it is mentioned it reads; CTC the cyclist's charity, not sure what image that gives to non members but not quite the Cyclist's Touring Club image of yesteryear.


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## PaulSB (20 Dec 2012)

Expensive? I haven't been able to find cycling specific insurance anywhere else for 79p / week. Excellent value in my mind - mind you reading the magazine almost makes me want to give up cycling!!!!


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## e-rider (20 Dec 2012)

Monsieur said:


> I'm a recreational and touring cyclist so belonging to a local club is not for me as I don't race or enjoy group rides.
> Looked at the CTC - apart from access to their classified ads is there a benefit in paying the £41 membership?


no


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## P.H (21 Dec 2012)

It works out at 80p a week, your pockets don't have to be very deep.
It's far from perfect but it is the best voice we have, as long as I broadly agree with what it's trying to achieve it'll get my subs.
I


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## uphillstruggler (22 Dec 2012)

im in.

mainly for the insurance but i also feel that sometimes, i have to put my money where my mouth is and back something i feel does a good job.

tuppence in.


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## just jim (19 Jan 2013)

"The Ride" is a noble alternative to the consumptive madness of C+. It supports photographers, illustrators and writers. Well worth the money!


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## sbird (30 Jan 2013)

Monsieur said:


> I'm a recreational and touring cyclist so belonging to a local club is not for me as I don't race or enjoy group rides.
> Looked at the CTC - apart from access to their classified ads is there a benefit in paying the £41 membership?


 
A "benefit" is that if you ride regularly with a CTC member group and want to lead a ride or two you have to be a full member (and not an affiliated member) to be a ride leader covered by the CTC insurance. 

And, as a by the way, member groups have knowledge of CTC members (full membership again, not affiliated) in their post code area, allocated by the CTC. Reading CTC has knowledge of over 600 CTC members but, thankfully, not all 600 turn up on a Sunday ride. We'd need more leaders to deal with that level of participation!


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## MrJamie (30 Jan 2013)

ohnovino said:


> You can get £10 back when you join British Cycling via TopCashBack, bring the cost down to £14.


You can use the TFL13 code to get BC membership for £18 instead of £24 (assuming the TFL12 halfprice one stopped working) and then take another £10 off with TCB/Quidco, costing you a whopping £8


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## Christopher (31 Jan 2013)

I left CTC as I wasn't interested in mountain biking - seemed most issues of 'Cycle' magazine were largely about it. I also lost my mojo for touring so there seemed little point in paying £41 for membership and didn't agree with CTC becoming a charity.


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## Rafferty (5 Feb 2013)

ianrauk said:


> Buy a £41 membership and get one of their free mind numbingly dull magazines. Well worth it.


That's why I left. I even thought of putting a letterbox on the recycling bin so the postman could put it straight in there. Of all the club magazines I have read over the years, this is surely the worst.
It seems the CTC now exists for it's own sake, and as a means of making money.
I won't ever re-join.


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## phil_hg_uk (5 Feb 2013)

I left CTC and joined British Cycling instead.


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## Rugbyman (5 Feb 2013)

I joined British cycling well worth the money , reduced entry fees to sportives etc plus 3rd party insurance . Bargain !


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## Andrew_Culture (5 Feb 2013)

I love that I have found a thread like this just days after joining CTC


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## subaqua (5 Feb 2013)

CTC membership is great for the family . I think I have saved more than the membership fee with the 10% discount on stuff at Onyer bike london bridge.


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## addictfreak (5 Feb 2013)

Just let my CTC membership lapse, going to go with BC.


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## Profpointy (5 Feb 2013)

Monsieur said:


> I'm a recreational and touring cyclist so belonging to a local club is not for me as I don't race or enjoy group rides.
> Looked at the CTC - apart from access to their classified ads is there a benefit in paying the £41 membership?


 
I pay it mainly to "support the aims of the club" ie a (mostly) sensible pro-cycle agenda, by people who really cycle, rather than racer or pure "greenies" as it were. I quite like the magazine, and read it through, and also think the 3rd party insurance is a comfort as is the legal advice - though I've not had to avail myself of either. At some point I may like to cycle with my local CTC group, so club fees would then be fair enough - though I've yet to do that either. Still - happy to pay to keep it going.


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## e-rider (6 Feb 2013)

Monsieur said:


> I'm a recreational and touring cyclist so belonging to a local club is not for me as I don't race or enjoy group rides.
> Looked at the CTC - apart from access to their classified ads is there a benefit in paying the £41 membership?


depends on your perspective and your income. That's about the cost of 5 minutes work for most lawyers, house surveyors, GPs, dentists.......


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## snorri (6 Feb 2013)

I enjoy the CTC mag. product reviews, test reports, tour reports, adverts. for cycle related products and services. I don't read it cover to cover, some articles are of no interest, but there is plenty left to make it an interesting read.
I have not seen any cycle mags on the newstands that contain a similar proportion of articles that appeal to me.


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## twentysix by twentyfive (7 Feb 2013)

Life member here. I'm quids in on that deal. I think I paid £70 or so ages ago. After being a "silent" member for a long time I'm now back taking part in the local group activities. The mag has generally been fine. As for all mags - some bits are boring and some bits are good. Never found a mag I can read cover to cover


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## e-rider (7 Feb 2013)

twentysix by twentyfive said:


> Life member here. I'm quids in on that deal. I think I paid £70 or so ages ago. After being a "silent" member for a long time I'm now back taking part in the local group activities. The mag has generally been fine. As for all mags - some bits are boring and some bits are good. Never found a mag I can read cover to cover


yes, anyone who bought lifetime membership a while back before cycling became popular (and therefore much more expensive) are quids in now!!! I'm sure it was about £60 for a lifetime membership about 15 years ago


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## bof (26 Mar 2013)

CTC membership means you dont need to pay the £2.00 day insurance if you do the odd Audax and dont want AUK membership. Not a member meself as I am in London and use the LCC for third party insurance and bike shop discount. I also vaguely feel I ought to support its campaigning but that's mainly based on boroughs and as I live on the boundary of mine and almost all my trips are outside the borough I can't get excited about installing cycle parking I'd not use. btw the LCC mag has improved from dire to only slightly duller than the CTC mag - which to be fair has the odd decent article.

PS if you have a child you could get them to join CTC - you get to read the the mag and the access to the other resources but not the insurance.


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## dellzeqq (26 Mar 2013)

phil_hg_uk said:


> I left CTC and joined British Cycling instead.


my boss has just jacked in his £67 BC membership and joined CTC via The Fridays for £16


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## phil_hg_uk (26 Mar 2013)

dellzeqq said:


> my boss has just jacked in his £67 BC membership and joined CTC via The Fridays for £16


 
Yes I was doing that but I only paid £2 for my British Cycling membership.


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## Nomadski (3 Apr 2013)

dellzeqq said:


> my boss has just jacked in his £67 BC membership and joined CTC via The Fridays for £16


 
Is there any significant difference (apart from the price) from signing up to CTC as an individual for a year full price, and signing up for £16 up through The Fridays website?


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## totallyfixed (3 Apr 2013)

My renewal has just arrived in the post and for the first time for many years I will have to think a bit harder before parting with my money. I have always thought that the CTC, BC, and any other organisations [CTT etc] should all join forces and become one much larger organisation which ought to pack a bigger punch when dealing with the bunch of upper class twits that passes itself off as a government.
The cost of joining has gone up significantly year on year which is often an indication that membership is not rising quite so fast.


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## ianrauk (3 Apr 2013)

Nomadski said:


> Is there any significant difference (apart from the price) from signing up to CTC as an individual for a year full price, and signing up for £16 up through The Fridays website?


 

Are you a FNRttC attendee? Best ask Delzeqq if non FNR riders are allowed to join through the website.

Difference is that you don't get the tedious magazine popping through your letterbox...


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## Trull (16 Feb 2014)

I rather like the mag, definitely like the proper campaigning the CTC does, feel reassured by the 3rd party insurance…but also my wee sister works for the CTC - so I'd like to think I'm supporting her as well.


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## fossyant (17 Feb 2014)

dellzeqq said:


> my boss has just jacked in his £67 BC membership and joined CTC via The Fridays for £16


 
Where did he get £67 from - must include a racing license !


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## HLaB (17 Feb 2014)

Ive let my mebership slip this year; I'm covered for 3rd party by BC anyway and I need that to enter TTs up north.


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## DCLane (17 Feb 2014)

I didn't renew mine last year. I've BC membership with Silver licence (so 3rd party and legal cover) plus the League of Veteran Racing Cyclists (LVRC). Their membership is £20pa which includes 3rd party cover as well.


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## Crackle (17 Feb 2014)

Trull said:


> I rather like the mag, definitely like the* proper campaigning* the CTC does, feel reassured by the 3rd party insurance…but also my wee sister works for the CTC - so I'd like to think I'm supporting her as well.



BC now have a campaign policy headed by Chris Boardman, it's the one thing they lacked, now I think there's no reason to be in the CTC (apart from supporting your sister, which is a s good a reason as any).


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## ComedyPilot (19 Feb 2014)

Hard one this...

I am a member of AUK, but that only insures me for Audax that I participate in.

I was a BC member when I was TT'ing with Hull Thursday, but lapsed as I'm not a racer and the TT bike was sold. 

I tour and do a lot of johnny-no-mates solo riding so am natural CTC fodder - but the whole CB/BC campaign policy angle has got me sort of interested......


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## Pro Tour Punditry (19 Feb 2014)

fossyant said:


> Where did he get £67 from - must include a racing license !



Gold membership is £69 - includes provisional race licence


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## ComedyPilot (20 Feb 2014)

Edit: The @ctc have gone and done their level best to piss cyclists off:

http://www.ctc.org.uk/blog/chris-peck/cycle-safety-fund-and-bedford-turbo-roundabout-some-facts

That's a new thread of it's own though.


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## snorri (20 Feb 2014)

ComedyPilot said:


> That's a new thread of it's own though.


 So why introduce it here?


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## oldroadman (6 Mar 2014)

Well, I had to be a BC member when I started competition too many years ago, and simply stayed, then one day decided to bite the bullet and take a life membership at x10 the annual fee. Less than £100 when I did that over 20 years ago, and it's a gold level automatically. Bargain, or what?
Last time I did a bit of research, BC ride membership was cheaper than CTC, and the figures speak for themselves, CTC in the 60,000s, BC high 80,000s. I just wonder how many are members of both?
What CTC lack is a proper shop window, which BC has with the GB team and all the races. I don't quite understand the comment about "money grabbing" earlier in the thread. In the end, you takes your choice, both represent reasonable value, offer similar services in legal and insurance terms, so for a non-racer it's a matter of which, and in these difficult times, price may be the difference. Which I think means BC is just cheaper in pricing, has family deals, so if that's the decider, and the value is the same, there's a logical decision. It does seem now BC are campaigning they have a lot more profile and professionalism about it, too, like the recent event at Westminster and Chris Boardman giving the transport (car driving) select committee a good ear bashing!
*Declaration of interest*. I don't work for BC, just an ordinary life member.


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## ianrauk (6 Mar 2014)

Affiliate membership of the CTC costs me £15 per year, think normal cost is about £40.
I only joined for the insurance and legal advice and it's been well used.


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## Old Plodder (14 Apr 2014)

Well for peace of mind knowing you have third party insurance, access to a legal team, knowledgeable people to lead tours & give advice, a magazine bi monthly, & lots of local groups to ride with wherever you are, living or holidaying, I think it is pretty good value, considering it is less than £1 a week.
Of course, I could be biased, as I am a 'life' member.


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