Singletrack Mountain Bike Magazine

• Overview
• Bike Forum
• Chat Forum
• For Sale
• Wanted
• Forum Help
• Classified Rules

Bike Forum

1. oblique - Member

   I was just wondering how many of you are members of cycling clubs and how much are you annual fees? Also what do you get from your club, number of arranged rides, forum, discounts, do they arrange races?

   I am but can’t really see what I get from the club. It is mostly a road club with a separate MTB section. I don't own a road bike so most of the benefits don't seem to apply to me (same fee for mtb or road). All that is available to me in the club is a forum, some local shop discounts (in shops I never use), one ride a week on a Wednesday at the pace of the slowest man (not a training ride) and one ride a month on a Saturday. Both of these are only on for 6 months of the year and will still get cancelled sometimes. They also do some weekends away but these are organised by individuals on the forum not club organised. They don’t get involved in any racing. Most people seem to think this is great service but I am reluctant to pay as it appears i am just funding the road section of the club.

   Posted 1 year ago #
2. BoardinBob - Member

   we use

   http://www.meetup.com

   No annual membership fee
   No committee
   No club rules
   No AGM

   We get enough of that crap at work. Just a bunch of people that want to ride together without any hassles.

   Posted 1 year ago #
3. Trekster - Member

   Get onto the committee, get some like minded mates to join yo, upset a few of the old guard and make the club what you want it to be.
   `tis what I did when F&M shut down all the offroad biking a while back and I started road riding. Managed a few yrs before realising that not a lot of people want to join mtb clubs, race, train etc. The majority of mtbers just want to get out and ride their bikes on their own or with a bunch of mates. Like I do now except for helping out with a kids Go-Ride club.

   Posted 1 year ago #
4. mcobie - Member

   Our club (TreadsCC.co.uk) costs £15 per annum. This includes 3rd party insurance, website with forum, Saturday road rides, Sunday mountain bike rides, training sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Wednesday evening mountain bike rides.

   We also hold one round in the Friday Night Summer Series.

   There are also organised weekends away with the mountain bikes (first organised weekend for the roadies to happen this year) plus several day trips during the year and there is usually a trip abroad - these do cost extra mind.

   We have organised 10% discounts in several local bike shops, plus several of the members offer discounts or cash back to the club for their services.

   Oh, and there is a monthly news letter (well, there will be soon).

   All in, £15 is a bit of a bargain in my opinion.

   Posted 1 year ago #
5. sefton - Member

   I'm a Boggie - great club, very friendly & well organised.

   I joined as I was sick of riding local trails (and if I was to set off somewhere new i.e. the Lakes, Dales, Peaks etc I would probably get lost and die a long drawn-out lonesome death out in the sticks).

   think it cost me £20 for the year - well worth it IMO.

   http://www.bogtrotters.org/rideslist.php

   Posted 1 year ago #
6. Mulletus Maximus - Member

   I'm a member of LBS club.

   Membership is free and we get discount from shop and first choice of any offers available.

   It is mainly road rides twice a week, three times if you race for them and MTB'ing once a month during winter and once a week in the summer.

   There are also beginers rides and ladies only rides too to try and encourage the local area to ride.

   Very friendly club and nobody ever gets dropped, except at the end of a Tuesday night ride where it's full on for the last five miles or so.

   Posted 1 year ago #
7. woody2000 - Member

   I'm in a club that's not a club, if you know what I mean. Bunch of mates getting together for rides and all that. HOWEVER, you still get all the politics, grumbles etc etc, that's just human nature!

   We have a forum etc, but there's no annual fee.

   Posted 1 year ago #
8. ourmaninthenorth - Member

   My club - Manchester Wheelers

   Mainly road, but loads ride MTB (and race). £20 a year. Winter there's around 5 or 6 road rides a week, more in summer. Lots of racing all year (cross, track, road, TT, MTB - MTB least to be fair, though we had a vets podium at Sleeless last year). Touring too. Annual/biannual club track nights. Summer socials. Winter socials. Trips abroad. Most stuff costs extra, though, as is usual in all sports clubs.

   For me, I get to ride and race with a great bunch of people and get to wear one of the most iconic jerseys in British cycling, which is good enough VFM for me.

   This has all changed from a doldrums period that followed the glory years of the 80s, when riding together was much more as you describe. The change has been brought about by certain indivuduals in the last 5 years, often with resistance from the old guard (most of whom no longer ride).

   Agree that rules, while needed to create a framework, can become a proper PITA if used to stifle any change to the status quo. We did a big rule change this year (my job before I left the committee).

   I reckon you need to fight harder for MTB recognition, or go ahead and ride outside the club framework.

   Posted 1 year ago #
9. aP - Member

   Like everything in life being a member of a club is what you make of it.
   Since leaving our last club just over a year ago we've been members of another larger club which is very biased towards road racing and TT-ing. To be honest, neither of these floats my boat particularly although I do race CX and the odd mtb race.
   However, last year we didn't go out much with them at all as we found them a bit unsociable and not terribly friendly beyond surface smiles.
   This year however, we've decided to lead the Sunday club run, which is now getting over a dozen riders, we've taken other out for long cx rides and also mtb rides. We do it because it means we have to be up as we've got a commitment and because no one else in the club is prepared to do it, so we decided to do it off our own backs. We're having to fight off some rather antideluvian ideas about non road racers and also introduce to them the apparently amazing notion that we like riding bikes because we like riding bikes.
   So far in the last year we've helped out signing and marshalling the club sportive, marshalled 3 road races (another one this coming weekend) and over the winter helped set out the course and marshal the club's local league cx race and additionally independently of the club we commissaired 9 cx races (between us).
   Our thoughts are that if you want to do something that no one else is offering then get up off your arse and start doing it yourself, you never know other people might quite like it too! Additionally if you ever take part in organised events then you have to be prepared to give up your own time at some point to help promote or put events for others.
   Oh, and for all of that we've had the super reward of 2 cups of tea and a bag of sandwiches - although this year we've got half price membership because we help the club to put events on...

   Posted 1 year ago #
10. fasthaggis - Member

    I joined our club ( had never been in any type of club before) as I was new to the area and wanted to find out what cycling there was around.

    They were very road based ,but over the years I have converted a few of them to mtb ,and they have shown me how good road riding can be. There was (IMO )no better way to get to know an area.
    They do all types of riding ,with lots going on through the year .
    It's also given me the chance to see what goes on from an organisers side of things and makes me appreciate all the work (and hassle)that goes in to events
    Oh , and I pay £20 fees for the discounted club kit ,and hanging around at the club talking bollix with like minded people.

    Is there only one club in your area oblique?

    Posted 1 year ago #
11. woody2000 - Member

    Yeah op, where are you? If you're anywhere nr HD6 (or not, we don't mind!) then you're more than welcome to ride with us on a Monday (MTB) or Weds (Road).

    http://www.ritzrebels.co.uk

    Posted 1 year ago #
12. cinnamon_girl - Member

    Much more fun riding with folk from here! Who needs rules and regulations?

    Posted 1 year ago #
13. oblique - Member

    Really is only one club that has and MTB stuff. There is a shop that i hope to start doing weekly weekend rides with. They seem much more more orginised than the club are.

    I am in North Yorkshire

    Posted 1 year ago #
14. MidlandTrailquestsGraham - Member

    I've been invited to join Bridnorth Cycling Club and not taken up the offer.
    If mountain biking was a bit more like motocross, with a whole network of clubs putting on local events for other club members to enter, I'd like to be part of it.
    HONC is a club event, as are the various SPAM Biking events on Salisbury Plain. It's a pity there aren't more clubs like that so we had more events to enter throughout the year.

    The Wyre Forest thread on Bikeradar and the facebook group are as good as a club to me.

    Posted 1 year ago #
15. simon1975 - Member

    The subs from my local club (£10 per annum) pay for the CTC insurance which, I think, indemnifies ride leaders against claims against them arising for incidents that occur on club rides. Worthwhile if you're leading unknown quantities rather than just riding with a group of friends. We've got a web forum too but I think that's quite cheap to run.

    Riding with a club is a great way to meet new riding buddies and to learn new routes.

    We ride on Sundays in the Peak District and Notts areas. http://www.natsmtb.com

    Posted 1 year ago #
16. Surfr - Member

    20 quid per year for adults.

    Affiliation with all governing bodies including British Cycling, Welsh Cycling, Cycling Time Trials, British Schools Cycling Association, British Triathlon, Welsh Triathlon

    10% LBS discount
    Continental Tyres sponsorship (VERY good discount)

    2 road races per year
    1 criterium per year
    full season of wednesday night time trials
    thursday night chaingangs
    saturday morning chaingang/race pace ride of the race circuit
    sunday morning club runs
    4 hill climbs
    winter spin classes

    then on the MTB side
    weekly night ride
    monthly big ride somewhere further afield.

    forum
    well maintained website
    great social club. extremely friendly and welcoming.

    Posted 1 year ago #
17. nickf - Member

    Was in an MTB club that seems to have gradually drifted to road and even duathalon. Not my sort of thing at all, so I've declined to renew my subs.

    Posted 1 year ago #
18. kilo - Member

    In a club KWCC over 300 members. Subs £30 p.a For that there are subsidsied social functions (xmas do,summer bbq and a club run to a tea stop with lots of food awaiting, 10% off at sigmasport, subsidised trips to Newport velodrome, various affiliations and there has been a system of refunding an element of race entry fees. A broad mix of disciplines catered for; sportive-ists, road racers, TT'ers with a series of evening club 10's in the summer and an active mtb cadre.
    Good points an active forum, club 10's, numerous club runs every Sunday and lots of ad hoc rides, I find club runs really bring your road riding along, a wide mix of intersting people in the club. bad point a lot (sometimes c70-100) of people turning up for club runs with less people willing to lead a run out so sometimes it can be a bit of a chore teaching people group riding when you're out for a relaxing sunday ride[*]

    Posted 1 year ago #
19. missingfrontallobe - Member

    A good club will let you try before you buy, and have a couple of ride outs with them before committing to paying membership. Lets you experience some of the different membership styles and see whatone suits you.

    I used to ride with the St Helens Woollybacks until middleage caught up with me, and they're still going strong with quite a big membership catchment area - definately too fast for me though, although would be good to get the weight off and join in again, had some good rides over the years with them.

    Posted 1 year ago #
20. oldgit - Member

    Only a member of an internet club now, but all the clubs I've been in have always served their purpose.

    Kenton RC. Gave me a start in racing. Met lot's of old Pros. they hosted many road races and TT's of course there wern't any MTB's then.

    Hemel Hempstead CC. Another great alround club who put in as much as they get out of the sport. Highlight of that was getting to train with Jeremy Hunt now and again, and riding with guys over from the ACBB.

    Bossard Wheelers. A club we kicked of ourselves for road and MTB. The TT event still goes on until this day.

    Tagged up with Team MK who really go the extra mile, right up to getting the kids, parents and spouses riding.
    Didn't join up because I really only want to race cross now, hence the internet club.

    Posted 1 year ago #
21. clubber - Member

    I'm in a team. No membership fees, no rules, no committees and a relaxed attitude. Plenty of events, races, rides and fun arranged by the team members themselves. We do MTB, road, TT, cx, tri, rowing and pretty much any other sport the people fancy.

    We're sponsored by a shop plus get discounts at others. Membership is generally by invitation ( though we've had several join by thr wonders of the internet with no connection other than they clearly had the same attitude as us ) but not to be elitist, simply to make sure that we don't end up with people who like all those things I said we have none of.

    Seems to work.

    http://LVIS.org.uk

    Posted 1 year ago #
22. jonb - Member

    I'm a member of a very good road club. Costs £10. We are hosting the national champs this year! Loads of events and rides for mere mortals through to some very good racers.

    Also a member of http://www.midaircrisis.co.uk not an official club as such so we bypass most of the normal boring stuff and focus on riding. There is plenty of that.

    Both were good to get to know people and the area. When down in Somerset there was no club as such but I met up with a few off here to ride occasionally.

    Posted 1 year ago #

RSS feed for this topic

Topic Closed

This topic has been closed to new replies.