from the Guardian
More bums on saddles: why Britain's cycling clubs are thriving
A growing number of clubs are challenging the elitist stereotype and welcoming riders of all abilities
Leicestershire's friendly club at the Dunwich Dynamo, an overnight ride from Hackney to Dunwich in Suffolk. Photograph: Ian Nutt
With almost 82,000 members, Britain's cycling clubs are growing. Fuelled by the general increase in bums on saddles across the UK as a whole, they've seen their membership increase by over 10% in the last couple of years.
Despite finding their roots in the growth of socialism at the beginning of the last century, cycling clubs have suffered a reputation among new riders as being elitist and snobbish. Not entirely unfounded fears of being left behind, having the wrong clothing or having your bike laughed at have led to many a cyclist riding alone, rather than joining a club run.
However, a growing number of clubs are challenging the stereotype. Welcoming to riders of all abilities, these inclusive clubs have grown far more quickly than the national trend.
Leicester Forest CC is a good example. Formed in 1923 they were initially christened the Keir Hardie cycling club. It is unknown whether the founder of the Labour party ever rode a bike in Leicester, but he would probably approve of the approach of "Leicestershire's friendly club".
The club run, that staple of all cycling clubs' activities, has long been a bit intimidating to the uninitiated. Leicester Forest have tackled this by running a monthly, slower paced "first-timers' ride" alongside the normal weekly ride. Existing club members act as friendly guides to newcomers and non-members, giving many their first chance to try a group ride. The successful initiative has increased numbers on all club runs and inevitably boosted profits at the local cafe stop.
Looking beyond traditional club activities, Forest members have contributed to many cycling projects in Leicester, getting involved in bikeability training, acting as guides for the Sky Ride Local initiative and playing an active role in the local Critical Mass - recruiting more new members in the process.
Andy Sakeld, cycling coordinator at the city council, believes that outward looking clubs such as Leicester Forest are important to sustain the growth in cycling that the city has seen. "We've seen a 130% increase in riders on our streets since 2005. Clubs that welcome riders of all abilities can help those new cyclists form a longer term interest in the sport."
The club's willingness to embrace social media has also had a part to play in a doubling of Forest's previously static membership over the last twelve months. "The majority of our promotional effort has been focused on the internet – our website, Facebook page and Twitter feed," says club president, Ian Nutt, "there is almost a direct relationship between the amount of effort we put in to those and the amount of interest generated."
Another club that is currently thriving is North Cheshire Clarion. Formed by a group of friends, the club has seen its membership grow to 150 in just two years. Activities have been developed to suit all abilities in a very supportive atmosphere. The club motto is "We never leave a rider behind" - and they don't.
"We were pushing the inclusivity agenda right from day one," says founder member Giles Perkins. "It does work, we have Saturday rides that get people used to riding in groups, following a wheel and learning the basic craft, this then leads them on to the longer Sunday rides."
The club is a member of the National Clarion – an organisation that can be traced back to the Socialist Cycling Club of 1894. With 1,000 members nationwide, the politics might not be so important now, but it still clings to its values of inclusion and fellowship. It's a philosophy that has helped West Lothian Clarion to build a thriving kids club. After making the commitment to take part in British Cycling's Go-Ride initiative, they have trained up coaches, a welfare officer and trail leaders. In doing so, the club has attracted 50 members between the ages of six and 15, helping to secure the strength of the club into the future.
Andrew Chaston, British Cycling's national development manager for clubs and volunteers believes the clubs have long been the lifeblood of the sport and is confident of their future:
More bums on saddles: why Britain's cycling clubs are thriving
A growing number of clubs are challenging the elitist stereotype and welcoming riders of all abilities
Leicestershire's friendly club at the Dunwich Dynamo, an overnight ride from Hackney to Dunwich in Suffolk. Photograph: Ian Nutt
With almost 82,000 members, Britain's cycling clubs are growing. Fuelled by the general increase in bums on saddles across the UK as a whole, they've seen their membership increase by over 10% in the last couple of years.
Despite finding their roots in the growth of socialism at the beginning of the last century, cycling clubs have suffered a reputation among new riders as being elitist and snobbish. Not entirely unfounded fears of being left behind, having the wrong clothing or having your bike laughed at have led to many a cyclist riding alone, rather than joining a club run.
However, a growing number of clubs are challenging the stereotype. Welcoming to riders of all abilities, these inclusive clubs have grown far more quickly than the national trend.
Leicester Forest CC is a good example. Formed in 1923 they were initially christened the Keir Hardie cycling club. It is unknown whether the founder of the Labour party ever rode a bike in Leicester, but he would probably approve of the approach of "Leicestershire's friendly club".
The club run, that staple of all cycling clubs' activities, has long been a bit intimidating to the uninitiated. Leicester Forest have tackled this by running a monthly, slower paced "first-timers' ride" alongside the normal weekly ride. Existing club members act as friendly guides to newcomers and non-members, giving many their first chance to try a group ride. The successful initiative has increased numbers on all club runs and inevitably boosted profits at the local cafe stop.
Looking beyond traditional club activities, Forest members have contributed to many cycling projects in Leicester, getting involved in bikeability training, acting as guides for the Sky Ride Local initiative and playing an active role in the local Critical Mass - recruiting more new members in the process.
Andy Sakeld, cycling coordinator at the city council, believes that outward looking clubs such as Leicester Forest are important to sustain the growth in cycling that the city has seen. "We've seen a 130% increase in riders on our streets since 2005. Clubs that welcome riders of all abilities can help those new cyclists form a longer term interest in the sport."
The club's willingness to embrace social media has also had a part to play in a doubling of Forest's previously static membership over the last twelve months. "The majority of our promotional effort has been focused on the internet – our website, Facebook page and Twitter feed," says club president, Ian Nutt, "there is almost a direct relationship between the amount of effort we put in to those and the amount of interest generated."
Another club that is currently thriving is North Cheshire Clarion. Formed by a group of friends, the club has seen its membership grow to 150 in just two years. Activities have been developed to suit all abilities in a very supportive atmosphere. The club motto is "We never leave a rider behind" - and they don't.
"We were pushing the inclusivity agenda right from day one," says founder member Giles Perkins. "It does work, we have Saturday rides that get people used to riding in groups, following a wheel and learning the basic craft, this then leads them on to the longer Sunday rides."
The club is a member of the National Clarion – an organisation that can be traced back to the Socialist Cycling Club of 1894. With 1,000 members nationwide, the politics might not be so important now, but it still clings to its values of inclusion and fellowship. It's a philosophy that has helped West Lothian Clarion to build a thriving kids club. After making the commitment to take part in British Cycling's Go-Ride initiative, they have trained up coaches, a welfare officer and trail leaders. In doing so, the club has attracted 50 members between the ages of six and 15, helping to secure the strength of the club into the future.
Andrew Chaston, British Cycling's national development manager for clubs and volunteers believes the clubs have long been the lifeblood of the sport and is confident of their future:
"As more people take to riding a bike regularly, we are seeing club membership grow, particularly in those clubs where taster sessions for newcomers or activities for children are on offer. Things are evolving. Many of our affiliated clubs organise rides and activities for all levels of cyclist and in turn more people are going on to take up bike racing. The simple enjoyment that comes with riding a bike with like-minded people can't be underestimated and is proving a real boon to the whole sport."
• Andy Ward is a GP, medical educator and mad keen cyclist who lives in Leicester.
