Decided its time to join a club in the new year to meet some new folks, ride some new places and get myself fitter by doing club runs. Question is, who to join?
By virtue of living in inner east London I've become more of a roadie of late than MTBer and unfortunately I don't see that changing until I can get the hell out of the big smoke. Shame.
I am unfit, but willing to work hard. Haven't ridden in a group in years. Where to begin?
I'm thinking of doing the same. The only thing I'm not sure about is how much training I'd need to do to even keep up the first few times out...
Yeah, I have that worry too. I'd love to find a fat biffers crew to get started with - it feels like a catch 22 at the moment as many of the club sites say you need to be able to ride 50 miles at an average of 20mph before going out with them. I doubt I'll get that fit without going out with a club.
I'm not, but I see loads & loads of London Phoenix Riders - nearly all of them have full kit (ie shorts & tops).Maybe give them a try?
If you can make it to NW London (we meet in Hatch End), come out with the Gregarios ([url= http://www.gregarios.co.uk ]www.gregarios.co.uk[/url]). We're very friendly, and usually have a slow and fast group on Sundays. Rides head out to the Chilterns or north into Hertfordshire.
The average speed for the "stylish" (slower) group is usually around 14-15mph on a 60 miler, with a cafe stop.
Hey OP
Get yourself down redbridge cycling centre... I beleive on a week night (maybe a tuesday) a club (Ford CC) runs an open "group ride" around the track there.
The thinking is it's safer during the dark evenings and groups of different speeds can form easily without anyone getting left behind.
Use that over the coming months as training and for meeting others and by spring/summer you'll be ready to get out on a proper group ride possibly with some of the guys you've met ??
Just lifted this from the redbridge website...
Night Riding Sessions
Don't fancy training on the roads in the dark? Well we are starting night sessions on our road circuit every Monday and Wednesday starting on January the 6th & 8th. Customers must supply their own lights and sign in and out of the Centre to be allowed to ride. Lights should have a beam that is able to light up a minimum of 2 metres width from a distance of 9 metres and a rear red light will also be necessary. Flashing only LED front lights will not be permitted. Riders under 12 must be accompanied at all times and usual circuit rules apply. Sessions will run from 16:00-20:00 with last entry at 19:15. Cost will be £4.10 for adults and £2.10 for under 16s. No pre-booking is required.
Better still ... doesn't the Olympic cycle park open soon... right on your door step... maybe there will be something similar there
Not as fit as you think. Any club that does not offer a no-dop beginners ride to get you used to group riding is not worth joining. Gregarios are great. East London Velo. Dulwich Paragon are south of the river. British Cycling lists 80 clubs in London on its [url=[url= http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/clubfinder ]Club Finder[/url]
hmmm....watches from Kentish Town with interest. Perhaps I should do this.
Theres lots of riders do the regent park circuit so maybe just jump in with them
I've ridden with the Hertford wheelers quite a few times and they have 3 Sunday groups going through lovely country side - train Liverpool street to ware would be a good idea then ride with those guys
I like to take the train up to Cambridge and ride back - I've met many cyclists like that so you could always ask who they ride with
Plum
Some great suggestions there, thank you.
Gregarious sounds perfect, but might be a bit far out for me. East London Velo would be the obvious choice, but their site makes it clear you should expect to ride home on your own if you can't keep up or you get a puncture, which was a little off putting.
Redbridge sounds great, and the new Eastway (very handy) is due to open in March.
Out East there's MBRO35 who ride from High Beech, Epping on both Saturdays and Sundays. They're a bunch of MTBers turned Roadie and aren't a proper subs paying club. Just a load of people who like riding bikes and eating/drinking. Just join their FB page and introduce yourself.
The road rides aren't particularly taxing and there's always a nice cake/food stop halfway. Sunday rides are usually slower and longer. You get to see a lot of Essex which is nice.
Or there's Lea Valley CC or Cycle Club Hackney which are more formal clubs.
East London Velo would be the obvious choice, but their site makes it clear you should expect to ride home on your own if you can't keep up or you get a puncture, which was a little off putting.
To be fair, it only says that about non-members. Their idea being (and I can see their point) why should a group of people who pay a subscription to be part of the club stop and sort out some "random hanger on" who may never join the club anyway, they're not contributing to the upkeep of the club etc.
They'll have that there to put off the chancers who turn up with no clue about anything, no spares and then expect everyone else to help them out when their badly-maintained bike falls apart 40 miles from home.
IME they're all very nice and welcoming.
Redbridge has the night sessions as mentioned and also the ELV Winter Series:
https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events?search_type=upcomingevents&keywords=velo&%20fromdate=01%2F01%2F2014&zuv_bc_event_filter_item_id []=23®ion_id[]=16
The new Lee Valley circuit (on the Olympic site) opens in March.
Other local loops that are popular include Regents Park (the Rapha lot go out round there regularly) and right over the other side of London, Richmond Park. But worth a trundle out there if you want to meet lots of different cycle clubs.
East London Velo would be the obvious choice, but their site makes it clear you should expect to ride home on your own if you can't keep up or you get a puncture, which was a little off putting.
Nice.
Find a club that'll support it's own riders, you should get a good idea from the websites.
Bit off the wall, but look for clubs that put back in i.e host races. Not only are they likely to be an organised lot, but that carries kudos as well. Clubs that never marshal or host and only ever use and abuse go down in the little note book.
You have some corking clubs your way, might as well join one you can pootle over to on a Sunday morning.
I like the 'Crest' Ilford lot.
Edit; A bit taken aback by the ELV thing. Had a quick look at the site and I didn't read it that way at all. It hints at it being shall we say a sporting club with racing at it's core, I dunno though.
hmmm....watches from Kentish Town with interest. Perhaps I should do this
I should say come and join us at the Gregarios, but your closest club is Islington CC. They only started last year but are growing very quickly. They meet at Whittingon Park so very close to Kentish Town. If you do go along and meet Dave or Rich, say Amit said hi.