what are peoples experiences with joining a club?

i have had 2 negative ones and i am nervous about committing to another. I am usually let down by the technical/type of ride but when it comes to organising a ride within the club it is frequently a struggle to take chaps away from their comfort zone and try fresh trails, therefore i am left feeling like a bit of a pain in the ass!
i do like the brotherhood of cycling but should i join the throng or hang out in the kitchen?

I like the social side of cycling in a large group on the road. Its loads easier to do big miles in a group on the road but when it comes to mountain biking, I prefer to cycle on my own or in smaller numbers.

Road – Yes
Mountain – No

how long did you give it in the past ?

takes a bit of persistance to be "accepted" before you can make suggestions on ride routes in my experiance.

some clubs are just full of cocks though – if you have experianced one of these then i understand your issues

like anything in life, you need to find a group that you fit in and that fits you.

I say persevere but don't pre-judge the next club on your perceived failings of the last 2, take it on its own merits.

I like the club I'm in, it's the first one I've ever joined and it's bee a real eye opener. Wherever I move next in the world, I will join a bike club when I get there.

I'm in a 'club' but hardly ever ride with them, I ride with a bunch of friends from other clubs who I know I get on with!

You don't have to commit to them even if you join. If it's for mountainbiking then there are usually loads of informal groups to ride with.
Road on the otherhand it's a good idea. The only thing with road clubs is that whilst you'll be accepted it takes a while to get to know the guys that has to be because of the nature of the riding i.e you don't really get the chance to chew the fat.

the local one to me is race, race, race. As such I don't bother with it, as I want the 'social' (though not necessarily easy plod along type) ride, rather full on training every time I go out.

i can see why people join and ride with them but they aren't for me, What they are useful for is riding when your mates let you down.

Road – Yes
Mountain – No

i was going to join the Bobs – but you have to be 'assessed' before you join… erm..

>i was going to join the Bobs – but you have to be 'assessed' before you join… erm.

The "assesment" involves going on ride with existing club members and prospective new members. No-one's got a clipboard out taking notes or checking how fast you can ride singletrack. Just a way of setting expectations before asking people to shell out for club membership.

Overall, I would say yeah, good to join one. On the road there is no doubt you cover the miles quicker in a chain gang. I dont manage to go out with the club all that much, but I'm a recognised face now and people do chat.

I actually like when the heads are down and the group is silently working away hammering down the road. I like the unwritten understandings.

MTB wise – i dont really feel I enjoy it as much, but perhaps thats cause most of the time i've been with the club its been in the winter time, so not really seen the best the mtb routes have to offer as yet.

We should probably all join a club, affiliate to CTC/IMBA and then we would maybe have some say in the stuff that bothers us(some anyway)

The constant mumpin and moanin on here about rights of way, bridleway access could be tackled with a bigger and better voice

I am in a club, a Go-Ride club, leading kids but have an excellent ralationship with FE and our Council

Local bike club is for roadies, there is atm no adult mtb club.

my club is a bunch of:

>i was going to join the Bobs – but you have to be 'assessed' before you join… erm.

The "assesment" involves going on ride with existing club members and prospective new members. No-one's got a clipboard out taking notes or checking how fast you can ride singletrack. Just a way of setting expectations before asking people to shell out for club membership.

yes I know i did go on a ride (not an offcial assessment ride), and was a good one with a great bunch, but seemed a bit of a faff to join a club, was happy to pay, quite fit.. can understand the point for new riders taking up biking..

just was quite a different experience of clubs than say years ago when I was i the mid shropshire wheelers

Si

it is frequently a struggle to take chaps away from their comfort zone and try fresh trails, therefore i am left feeling like a bit of a pain in the ass!

Maybe you are a PITA 🙂

It just sounds like you need to find a group of people/club who are after the same things as you. Plenty of people are happy riding the same stuff regularly (that includes me) while others aren't…

We should probably all join a club, affiliate to CTC/IMBA and then we would maybe have some say in the stuff that bothers us(some anyway)

The constant mumpin and moanin on here about rights of way, bridleway access could be tackled with a bigger and better voice

I agree, and it is something that does concern me (right of way issues). I usually only go out riding with one other friend, and he's going to be busy with a new baby in the summer, so I may well end up joining a club. It gets a bit boring on your own after a while, and you'll probably end up doing some different routes.

>(not an offcial assessment ride)

As above there is no assessment ride, it's called an "intro ride" to allow prospective members to meet existing members and vice versa before shelling out cash for membership.

Start your own

I don't know if it's just me, but I like to ride off road with groups but not in a bunch. I really hate to be on someones back wheel looking at black rubber rather than the trail and surroundings.
With a club road ride it's a different work ethic, and different again when there's only two of you on the road.

i'm in a club. most of the people are cool. all of them like bikes. there are sunday club rides which some times i go on, there are night rides which i go on more often, some times i ride with guys from the club in a smaller group – very occasionally these will be a closed invite type of thing. I've met some good people through the club and had some good fun. I also ride with other non club people, family friends and colleugues.

I do see why some people wouldn't want to be in a club as there are some people who just like to be organising things – doesn't matter what club it was they'd try and organise you.

to me it's all part of biking.

I'm with Groucho Marx on this one

The club I ride with (errr which is a far lot less than I like) is IMBA and spot on. Good bunch and a good laugh.

I noticed how much I learnt, my motivation, my fitness etc grew very rapidly when I joined the club.

However with life etc we all like different things and its not everyones cup of tea.

What I find that suits me about the club I ride with is, its simple. All were doing is riding a bike, thats it. We have rides on a certain day, its worked out the forum / phone and thats it. No mass meetings re rides, no fee when you ride etc. If the club needs a few quid for IMBA membership, we all slap some coin in where and when in the pub.

Simples.

>(not an offcial assessment ride)

As above there is no assessment ride, it's called an "intro ride" to allow prospective members to meet existing members and vice versa before shelling out cash for membership.

yes it does seem that they have dropped the assesment bit:

http://www.bobmbc.com/membership.htm

worth it for swinley access alone

Couldn't find one I liked so started my own, but I am an unsociable b'td

i gave up with club riding about a year ago. I ride with my mates who share the same exploring ideals as me. However i do miss the trend that in a club there are always better riders to push your boundaries.

I was with "BedsFatrax" for a while when I lived closer, not really a club at all, just a way of funding Chicksands trails, rode with mates there and elsewhere, moved to Reading, was considering joining RATS, only to discover they had apparently folded/stopped taking new members…

So now I ride with some of my work mates, do plenty of solo jaunts, and occasionally meet up with other old riding mates, lack of a formal "club" doesn't really bother me would be nice to go for more regular local rides with other people but then I'm not sure my timetable fits in with those rides organised locally (still not been on any of Mountain-high's mid week rides)…

On the road it works out great as you can share the work out depending on the relative strengths of the riders.

MTBers have to be much closer in fitness to allow a group to stay together comfortably and I find that once a group gets beyond about 5-6 riders the increased faffing/mechnaicals etc make it pretty hard to get a good ride in.

MTBers have to be much closer in fitness to allow a group to stay together comfortably

say what ? Or they could just relax and not be arses! We often have rides with all levels from sluggish newbies to scarily fit getting along together fine 🙂

but I am an unsociable b'td

haha.
its not to do with the club members, they all seem fantastic and well organised/dressed.

Fitness tests?!

All silly IMO, its riding a bike, and being sociable. Getting out with like minded poeple, its not a **** race!

Always well dressed, I'll have no scruffs in my club!

i don't quite like the cliquey group thing. nor the idea of paying to partake in something i enjoy (mostly) for free.

last year i was right down in southern germany on the edge of the alps.
i used to ride with a loosely jumbled group of riders – some local, some not. everyone knew that there would always be someone waiting by the Schwimmbad on a thursday evening. sometimes there would be 2 of us, other times 25+. some 'part-timers/enthusiasts' and some technically really good, passionate riders.

i got invited on – and given lifts to – various other rides all over the region. i experienced some of the best trails in the area with locals proudly showing off their favourite tracks.

looking back i'd have happily paid, but there wasn't anyone to pay . it was just a group of people with a love of biking having fun.

I'll have no scruffs in my club!

or, indeed, anyone else …

BItter northeners especially not welcome

looking back i'd have happily paid, but there wasn't anyone to pay . it was just a group of people with a love of biking having fun.

That's what i would love to find. Around Glasgow…

BItter northeners especially not welcome

ecky thoomp 🙁

We should probably all join a club, affiliate to CTC/IMBA and then we would maybe have some say in the stuff that bothers us(some anyway)

The constant mumpin and moanin on here about rights of way, bridleway access could be tackled with a bigger and better voice

I'm not in a club, but am a member of IMBA…

If a club accepts me, it's not a club worth being in.

Really, people who have clubs are the type of people who like organising clubs. If you're that type of person then you're in luck, there's lots of you out there. I suggest everyone else rides with their mates or by themselves.

Our rides can have anywhere between 3 and 13 riders, so there's no real need for any of us to join a club.

However, from what I know of local clubs, there's Matlock Cycling Club that seems to be the domain of ex roadies, who I've never ridden with, but sound far to fit and don't partake in the kind of rides I enjoy.

Then there's the DVATC who are (mostly) a decent bunch of folk, but there's still some 'racers', so it's fast paced but still good fun.

Personally I just prefer riding with mates and having a laugh – clubs can get too serious.