new cycle club

[addictfreak]

I think it depends on the club. I know my club have a couple of runs on a Sunday, if you are in with the faster group its expected that you will hold the pace. However the 'normal' group is a much more social affair and no one will be left, and you get to stop for coffee and cake.

 

[bainy16]

Hi Bainy16 I see you're in the same area as me.

Which club have you joined is it Donny Wheelers or another one?

I have been thinking of joining a club myself but am unsure if I am good enough yet for club rides, like you I don't want to be a burden on the other riders.

How far did you go, did you stop and what sort of pace did you keep?

Hi cycle supreme is the club http://cyclesupreme.wordpress.com/join-us/ did about 44 miles with 2 stops great bunch of blokes really made me feel welcome, 15.8mph avg for the first 20miles i really struggled but always had somebody back with me sometimes the bunch cracked on then waited the second half i was with them all the way as they dropped the pace a little.

 

[bainy16]

Have really wanted to join a club for ages now but worry that I couldn't keep up the pace...may keep at it another year to try to speed up and then join!

i was thinking that but then thought blow it was nice to get the motivation and advice from them

 

[BrianEvesham]

Grreat! Thats at least THREE of us!.....................

What we really need to do now is start a Desperado Slo-Riders Club with affiliated branches all over the uk.

I bet it would take off like a taking off stormy kind of thing.

Russ could manage, Brian-you could be coach? I could be the treasurer 'cause I'm SO good with money .

I'm sure there's a market for it?

w

I think you may have something Widge, except me being a coach LOL.

 

[Easytigers]

Grreat! Thats at least THREE of us!.....................

What we really need to do now is start a Desperado Slo-Riders Club with affiliated branches all over the uk.

I bet it would take off like a taking off stormy kind of thing.

Russ could manage, Brian-you could be coach? I could be the treasurer 'cause I'm SO good with money .

I'm sure there's a market for it?

w

I'm in!!! As long as there is a pub stop at the end of the ride!

 

[KateK]

Well shall we do it folks? It's only an email?

 

[BrianEvesham]

First ride in Evesham?

 

[Rob3rt]

As others have said it depends on the club and the group within that club that you go out with.

Our club have (at least) monthly intro rides that roll at the speed of the slowest rider and aim to get people used to group riding. No-one gets dropped.

Generally Sunday club run's, it is sort of expected that you can take the pace, but then again there is a strong social element and generally there is at least one person having a bad day and as it is not a training run, we will wait and help, as long as it is not an extreme case, but we will not dump someone 40 miles from home that is for sure.

Similar for the mid-week "intermediate" rides. These are faster than an intro ride, about on par with or faster than a Sunday club run, but not as far and not as hilly, again there is a pace in mind but it is not set in stone, we wait for weaker riders unless people are way of the mark. I have only seen this happen once, we asked one guy to turn back, before we hit the lanes, because he was blowing after about a mile, we waited on him 2-3 times over a couple of miles and he just was not at that stage where he could keep up and we didn't want him to get lost in the lanes, nor compromise the ride for everyone else.

Training run's, keep up or go home is the general rule (sometimes it gets flexed, i.e. we wait at the top of hills or at the bottom of descents!)

 

[Fab Foodie]

Grreat! Thats at least THREE of us!.....................

What we really need to do now is start a Desperado Slo-Riders Club with affiliated branches all over the uk.

I bet it would take off like a taking off stormy kind of thing.

Russ could manage, Brian-you could be coach? I could be the treasurer 'cause I'm SO good with money .

I'm sure there's a market for it?

w

There is a market for it, it's how we started 'Abingdon Freewheeling' 4 years ago, we even made cakes to bring and share.

We organised a cycling festival with a local bike shop and weirdly about 100 people turned-up and we took 'em on road rides and MTB rides, from 4 miles, 10 miles and 27 miles with a halfway stop, so we did it again, and more people came and we had live music, and last year nearly 200 people rode
This year we have more bike shops involved, some local bike clubs, and we're taking over the town centre and closing the road, we'll be doing kiddies treasure hunts, the 10 and 27 milers, a beginners audax and a sporting ride.
This cold morning there were around 30 roadies in 3 groups, last week around 40. Some Thursday evenings we'll have 30 to 40 riders turning-up, we split 'em into groups by distance and off we pootle. We all finish in our adopted pub and get free chip butties in return for the beer we drink!
We're almost the antidote to cycle-clubs, it's not about the bike, it's about more people riding .... together, for fun. Anyone can advertise and lead a ride, Facebook makes it very easy.

If you don't find what you like in existing clubs (and there are many good ones to choose from), start your own, we did, one girl, 4 blokes, coffee and a vision.

 

[BrianEvesham]

Oh I wish I was nearer, it's sounds Fab. When is your next big festival I may have to make it?

Edit: just checked your fantastic website, very encouraging reading and I have the date In my diary.

 

[cyberknight]

As said by others it all depends on the club and the sort of rides you join.
The club i ride with has training runs in the week that i cant manage and i gather they are chain gang like so you are expected to hang on .
Other rides especially the Sunday main club runs have a slow (average 15-16 mph 40 miles) and medium(average 17-18 mph 50-70 ) paced groups that operate a no drop policy and if someone is getting dropped we slow down to a pace they can handle and make sure they get the most benefit of drafting/pulls.When i ride with them in the medium group i always make an effort to pace set and act a a front man if someone flats and needs a pull .
The fast group works the same till the cake stop then its all hands to the pumps and you are expected to hang on or you will get dropped ,average 20 mph 50-70 miles.I did start with the fast group for a little bit then another mini ck arrived a year ago and the medium group is all i have the legs for atm.

 

[Easytigers]

Well shall we do it folks? It's only an email?

If it's anywhere near...I'm there!

 

[London Female]

Oh I wish I was nearer, it's sounds Fab. When is your next big festival I may have to make it?

Edit: just checked your fantastic website, very encouraging reading and I have the date In my diary.

In my diary too, see you there.

 

[Dave 123]

There is a market for it, it's how we started 'Abingdon Freewheeling' 4 years ago, we even made cakes to bring and share.

We organised a cycling festival with a local bike shop and weirdly about 100 people turned-up and we took 'em on road rides and MTB rides, from 4 miles, 10 miles and 27 miles with a halfway stop, so we did it again, and more people came and we had live music, and last year nearly 200 people rode
This year we have more bike shops involved, some local bike clubs, and we're taking over the town centre and closing the road, we'll be doing kiddies treasure hunts, the 10 and 27 milers, a beginners audax and a sporting ride.
This cold morning there were around 30 roadies in 3 groups, last week around 40. Some Thursday evenings we'll have 30 to 40 riders turning-up, we split 'em into groups by distance and off we pootle. We all finish in our adopted pub and get free chip butties in return for the beer we drink!
We're almost the antidote to cycle-clubs, it's not about the bike, it's about more people riding .... together, for fun. Anyone can advertise and lead a ride, Facebook makes it very easy.

If you don't find what you like in existing clubs (and there are many good ones to choose from), start your own, we did, one girl, 4 blokes, coffee and a vision.

That looks really good!

 

[Dan Allison]

There is a market for it, it's how we started 'Abingdon Freewheeling' 4 years ago, we even made cakes to bring and share.

We organised a cycling festival with a local bike shop and weirdly about 100 people turned-up and we took 'em on road rides and MTB rides, from 4 miles, 10 miles and 27 miles with a halfway stop, so we did it again, and more people came and we had live music, and last year nearly 200 people rode
This year we have more bike shops involved, some local bike clubs, and we're taking over the town centre and closing the road, we'll be doing kiddies treasure hunts, the 10 and 27 milers, a beginners audax and a sporting ride.
This cold morning there were around 30 roadies in 3 groups, last week around 40. Some Thursday evenings we'll have 30 to 40 riders turning-up, we split 'em into groups by distance and off we pootle. We all finish in our adopted pub and get free chip butties in return for the beer we drink!
We're almost the antidote to cycle-clubs, it's not about the bike, it's about more people riding .... together, for fun. Anyone can advertise and lead a ride, Facebook makes it very easy.

If you don't find what you like in existing clubs (and there are many good ones to choose from), start your own, we did, one girl, 4 blokes, coffee and a vision.

Liking the sound of cycling and cake!