Just thinking of joining really,

Is it worth it?

Good for insurance and legal cover, depends on how you feel they represent your interests in other ways with regard to access and MTB in general. I think they do some other discount codes too.
If your racing then yes.

I normally get my entry fee back in crc discount, although not as good as it used to be as have to spend over £100 now. Dont think I’d join if not racing though

I saved the entry fee with the CRC discount and it’s good to know you’ve got a level of cover when riding

If you shop in Halfords at all then yes.

Joined it there just to get the discount format fork purchase at CRC.

If you need a race licence then yes.
10% discount at Halfords (I bought a smart turbo trainer which saved me the years BC membership cost straight away :-)).

I’d join for the legal insurance alone. They were great when I got collected by a car.

joined for the discounts with a particular partner of the time, stayed for the shopping discounts which are still pretty good, you can use them on all Halfords stuff not just cycling, not had cause to use the insurance (touch wood) but good to know I have it.

Some people may have ethical concerns about the recent bullying / sexism stuff. Depends if that worries you, but I’m a bit baby and bathwater on that – they do / have done IMHO a lot of good things and now need to sort out that aspect. But I’ll give them the chance to do so.

At Halfords, you get 10% off anything even if it’s reduced already.

Unless it’s something you just need to collect quickly, I’ve found that reserving online then collecting instore causes less confusion in store as some staff haven’t got a clue about how the discount works and they think they can’t take the 10% off the already reduced item.

Other staff don’t even look properly at the BC card. I put mine on the till the other day flag side up and the lad didn’t turn it over to see if it was still in date. Just scanned the voucher page on his till.

Halfords 10% is across the store not just bike stuff, and applies to sale items.

CRC discount will usually pay for a basic membership over a year.

Loads of other offers that pop up (3 months Strava premium, magazine and other discounts).

Personal injury cover (provided by Leigh Day) is excellent – I was hit in June last year and had a month off work, her insurers dicked me about so I went through BC and LD, and got ~£2500 personal injury on top of the losses I was trying to get them to cover.

I joined for the Insurance and Legal Aid/Cover plus supporting the general cause of ‘UK Cycling’

I don’t race and I’ve never used the discount; although I keep thinking I must one day!

What everyone just said. If you’re a member of an affiliated club then you get half price first year or something too.

Yeah I’ve saved a couple of hundred quid on CRC over the last couple of years and used it in Halfords several times as well.

Bought some kids booster seats the other days and saved 10%, also used it when I bought a tool chest.

Don’t think it’s official but i’m sure I’ve seen people say that Evans takes it as well??

Legal assistance and insurance is a bonus….

Don’t think it’s official but i’m sure I’ve seen people say that Evans takes it as well??

Evans used to do official discounts plastered all over the BC page in the same way CRC do but that ended a while ago (last year?). If they do anything now it’s unofficial and maybe store-specific (as I’ve just bought a bloody bike from them so hope I haven’t missed it, but they are giving me 250 quid trade-in for a pile of rust from my shed…)

Evans stopped, I checked.

BC membership is great for the CRC discount, if you know you’ll buy a few £100+ baskets each year – or even a bike.

Cycling UK offers 10% off Halfords as well now, and they are making more effort to represent MTBing and campaign for better access – if that kind of thing is important to you.

You guys should be on commission. I’ve been considering this for years. Payment made.

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/membership/article/20170518-Win-a-Park-Tool-Professional-Tool-Kit-worth-£699-0

CyclingUK better if you just want insurance/discounts and representation. They’ve just recruited a team to work on better MTB trails.

BC if you need a race licence.

British Cycling’s attitude towards and lack of support for Mountain Biking puts me off.

http://singletrackworld.com/columns/2015/09/the-fundamentals-how-were-in-danger-of-winning-nothing-in-rio-2016
http://singletrackworld.com/columns/2016/04/pro-xc-racer-jenny-copnall-speaks-out-at-british-cycling/
http://singletrackworld.com/columns/2016/03/just-what-is-british-cycling-doing-with-mtb/
http://singletrackworld.com/2014/10/no-british-cycling-insurance-for-enduro-for-the-moment/

Discounts in shops you can get in many ways anyway. Insurances you can get elsewhere, and third party insurance you get with your house insurance.

Ride membership is £15, yes you can get general discounts in various ways, but with 10% off everything in Halfords it isn’t hard to benefit.

For me it’s well worth it.

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/about/article/20170601-about-bc-news-Volunteer-applications-to-open-for-Tissot-UCI-Track-World-Cup-in-Manchester-0

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/jul/18/british-cycling-funding-risk-reform-vote-rejection

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cycling/2017/07/17/british-cycling-danger-losing43m-funding/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/40624170

Use it or lose it.

For anyone who is currently debating it. If you enter this competition as well as the chance to win lots of shiny stuff also get a 20% off code for any BC membership.
I am so so about BC though. Cycling UK currently get the cash since they seem to do a better job of representing general cycling and also seem to be targeting mountain biking more now.

Cycling UK looks interesting – how come I don’t think I’ve heard of them before – are they relatively new?

Cyling UK are what was formally the CTC aren’t they?

Yes. If you have a beard and do 12mph 300 mile audaxes in hiking socks then Cycling UK is for you

(I assume the rebranding is to shake off the fusty image).

Yes. If you have a beard and do 12mph 300 mile audaxes in hiking socks then Cycling UK is for you

Sigh. Cycling is inclusive you know, or at least is meant to be. As it happens, I like to do both distance road and MTB and, amazingly, enjoy both. I also accept that there are facets of this sport that I don’t enjoy (I’ll never be brave enough to ride proper downhill, for one!) but I don’t mock other people because they enjoy different disciplines to me.

Live and let live. And anyway, the real beards are in the RSF – why not come and join us there? 🙂

Yes. If you have a beard and do 12mph 300 mile audaxes in hiking socks then Cycling UK is for you

(I assume the rebranding is to shake off the fusty image).

Yes it was, but look beyond the stereotypes at what they’re actually doing for MTB and C-UK are way, way ahead of BC.

They arguably do a better job of the nuts and bolts road cycling advocacy stuff too, though they tend to be more grassroots and less showy about it.

British cycling were excellent when I had a collision with another cyclist on an awful Edinburgh cycle route. Having agreed with the cyclist that it was no one’s fault other than the council for having created such a hazardous route, he then decided to sue me. British cycling lawyers were supportive and stood up against the dodgy claim all the while reassuring me there was nothing to worry about. I dread to think what might have happened had I not had that cover so it was 30 quid well spent.