Worth the £41 to join CTC?

[uphillstruggler]

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.

 

[just jim]

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

 

[sbird]

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!

 

[MrJamie]

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

 

[Christopher]

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.

 

[Rafferty]

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.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

I left CTC and joined British Cycling instead.

 

[Rugbyman]

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

 

[Andrew_Culture]

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

 

[subaqua]

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.

 

[addictfreak]

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

 

[Profpointy]

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.

 

[e-rider]

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.......

 

[snorri]

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.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

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