[Closed] Riding with a club

Sweet.

I know your feelings.  When I was looking for one I looked at a couple of established ones and felt a little intimidated by the craic they had etc.  Found a newish club and went from there.  There was no need to feel intermediate either as the established clubs are all a good bunch it's just a thing I have personally.

Have fun man 🙂

Glad to hear it. A cycling club is a very personal choice and everyone will want something different from it, whether it's structured training, racing, club runs or just people to sit in the pub with and yak about bikes.

I got involved with our club through the back door, so to speak - I started taking the kids to an evening coaching session. Then I started to help out with the kids. Then I started to do club runs. Then the kids started to do club runs. Then I became a qualified coach. Then I started to do the faster club runs. Then the kids started racing. Then I added more coaching qualifications. Then I joined the committee. Then I realised that it had taken over my life...

The important thing is that your club is aligned to what you want from cycling but if you can fall in with people who like similar things to you (or, perhaps more importantly, you can keep up with!) then it will really help to broaden your cycling experience.

For me, I joined as a mountain biker from childhood with no interest in anything else. Now...well, I ride everything from audaxes to CX to time-trialling. OK, so I don't do quite as much time on the MTB as I used to, but I spend far longer in the saddle, I'm fitter (although not "fit" yet!) and love my cycling more than ever. I also have an appreciation for a wider view of the sport which means that my kids are getting the same wide exposure and this has resulted in a daughter who has found she loves social road riding and a son who loves racing track and CX. Neither would have found these without the club.

I really hope you enjoy it! Next stop - some club kit to wear 🙂

I'm looking forward to Saturday afternoons post where you complain about being a newbie that no one talked to and the bit where everyone rode off leaving you behind 🙂

I often ride with a club, never know when you'll need to hit someone over the head. Never had a cylcing specific one though, or spent so much time deliberating over which one to get. I think you are over thinking it a bit TBH, any old short and easily swingable club should do.

I’m looking forward to Saturday afternoons post where you complain about being a newbie that no one talked to and the bit where everyone rode off leaving you behind

Hahaha, I have had this exact experience.

I was a member of a MTB club for years but a couple of incidents made me rethink whether it was something I wanted to be part of / some of the members were people I wanted to be aligned with so left.

Then i got more into road riding (via the back door, I got a gravel bike for a mixed surface commute, enjoyed the road side, got an N+1 road bike) then realised you could go further and faster in a group so tried a couple and then found a club i liked. Subsequently became a qualified ride leader (internal but part of the constitution to benefit from certain perks / insurance) and then became the club rides co-ordinator, which has put me on first name terms with a dozen or so coffee shops in the area.

@saxonrider - If you find this club isn't the right one, don't dismiss them all. I too tried at least one that was a "newbie that no one talked to and the bit where everyone rode off leaving you behind" experience but they aren't all like that.

Every night on my way home, i pass a  big sign for the local super serious, 83 year old, roadie club which says "Club Run meets here 9 a.m. Sundays - All Welcome"

I'm often tempted to rock up one morning on my Fatbike wearing baggies and a backpack just to witness the horrified looks i'd get.

i’m often tempted to rock up one morning on my Fatbike wearing baggies and a backpack just to witness the horrified looks i’d get.

ask them if they have a spare cup of water too?

My 8 year old grandson is doing a topic this year on Saxons.  Apparently they had big heavy clubs with spikes in which they used to kill animals and procure their wives.  You're probably going to need a pannier rack to ride with one of them.

I’m often tempted to rock up one morning on my Fatbike wearing baggies and a backpack just to witness the horrified looks i’d get.

It's OK, they'll smile indulgently at you and then murder you on the first climb 🙂

A good club run should set expectations before you join it - they should give you a good idea of distance, terrain (our club has a specific "hill" section if you want to climbing!), speed etc. You should also know whether it's a "drop ride" or not - i.e. will they wait for you, or leave you behind. Just be aware that if you join an 18mph ride and can only do 12mph tops, you might get some grumpy looks if people are waiting for you on every hill. Best to start at the bottom and work up until you find the run (and riders) that suit your style.

I’m often tempted to rock up one morning on my Fatbike wearing baggies and a backpack just to witness the horrified looks i’d get.

You'll have to try a bit harder than that if you are seeking attention. There's a chap in our club who has been riding TTs on a fat bike fitted with tri bars for years. He gets a few grins, but no one is horrified.

Every time this discussion comes up, there always seems to be a number of people with no desire to join a club (nothing wrong with that) complaining about the clubs they don't want to be members of!

Hope you have a nice run at the weekend, OP, and that the club is what you are looking for.

Rounders bat fits more easily in the frame....

It’s OK, they’ll smile indulgently at you and then murder you on the first climb

Seems a bit extreme. I’d expect maybe a bit of light punching or a kick in the nuts.

Just for balance i found my club welcoming and helpful.  Not only have i made new friends, ive learned a lot about cycling, been challenged to ride with a whole range of riders with different/superior skills, been in many organised trips that i probably wouldnt have experienced by myself and enjoyed many coffees and banter.

Importanty that includes organisational, contributory and marshalling/event opportunities to put back into the sport for new and experience cyclists alike

In my experience my club and its members are in some way responsible for my increased enjoyment and development as a cyclist for which i remain thankful to them - from those that dragged me back on In the early days  and those that challenge me now. 🙂

Clubs can be awesome

I too have had very positive experiences riding with a club.

Like any group of people there might be people who are harder to get on with than others but you're essentially just a bunch of grown-ups going out for a bike ride.

Try not to be too put off if there are sections where there isn't much chat - sometimes everyone is just concentrating on riding in a bunch!

He's invited me too.  I might go 🙂

I hope they encourage you to get down the velodrome SaxonRider, I think you'd appreciate it and be good at it.  However for the road rides you'll need to work on your wheel holding 🙂  Best hang around at the back the first few goes .... I'll keep you company!

I was wandering through the jungle when I met a hunter dragging a lion.

‘Bloody hell’ I remarked, ‘what did you kill that with?’

‘Me Club’ he replied.

‘Must be a big club’

’Yup, there’s about 30 of us’

New club politics can be just as good as old club politics, but with nobody able to use the “its always been that way” approach - enjoy!

However for the road rides you’ll need to work on your wheel holding

I’m with you there.

@mooman has tried to help me with that, too, but my first experience with his club was that they were <i>very</i> fast. I have never wanted to hold other riders back, and I constantly felt that by moving up the chain, I was just getting in the way. In any case, by the end of that ride, I just couldn’t hold anyone’s wheel anymore and got dropped.

Here I am, however, about four kilos heavier than I want to be but about as fit as I will be able to get on my own, conscious of the fact that when it comes to finding a club and just getting on with it, it’s now or never.

Group rides aren't necessarily chain gangs.  They're different things.  For a group ride I think you can just sit on the back - the slower riders get towed as long as they can handle it, the faster ones do the work, everyone gets a workout.

I often ride with a club, never know when you’ll need to hit someone over the head.

When I first saw the title I thought it might be someone revisiting how to deal with annoying dogs when cycling.

I’m looking forward to Saturday afternoons post where you complain about being a newbie that no one talked to and the bit where everyone rode off leaving you behind

Well, here I am, and I am delighted to report that this did NOT happen. I did fall of the back twice, but managed to get back on on two climbs. One of the riders held back and piloted me back on one occasion.

So essentially, I have some ways to go before I can take all of my turns on the front and stay with the group without falling off, but all in all, it was a very successful ride.

I am on cloud nine, and think that, if this is the way club is, then it is definitely the one for me.

Glad to hear it; club rides should never be about putting the hammer down and dropping people or making them suffer .. those rides are completely different things. A good club ride will be about a bit of social and banter; coffee and cake .. and maybe a bit of an effort at the end for those wanting to empty the legs.

What club is it James? the new Cowbridge one??

I am on cloud nine, and think that, if this is the way club is, then it is definitely the one for me.

You've just described my first few club rides.   Being dropped and then helped back on by club members whilst riding beside me offering advice.  And its a lovely thing when you become one with the "group", are taking turns and can contribute.

I'm now able to join in the fun on targeted climbs and particularly sprints where reputation has built itself, and in my case without even a word of mouth people will join in and tow you up hills, provide you a lead out on a sprint sections, or just offer you a appreciative nod as they come past after a flick of the elbow off the front.  And of course, you'll do the same for other riders without a thought.

Glad you enjoyed it Saxonrider, speaking for myself I hope its the same for you that it becomes quite addictive!

What club is it James? the new Cowbridge one??

Hey Ant. It’s Veloflow, based here in Cardiff. And I have to thank you for getting me going with Paragon earlier this summer. Just the fact that I was with you on a Saturday ride meant that I knew a lot more in terms of what to expect, and how to behave as part of the chain.

Riding with a club once in a while is a nice change but a tunnocks is what you really need on longer rides

Glad you had fun, I still intend to come along at some point.

Nice one!

Generally if you say something along the lines of "This is at my limit, I'll skip my turn on the front", "I'm done, I'll sit on the back" or "I'll see you at the cafe" then no-one really minds. Next time you do a bit better until eventually you can take your turn on the front for the whole ride. Basically you are saying: "I'm not just going to be a wheelsucker but I need to get up to speed with my fitness."

That’s great; Veloflow have some really good racers - and some really nice people within the club. So if you decided that you want to actually pin a number on, there would be lots of encouragement and great advice available.

Snazzy club kit too👍

Remember....

NO HALF WHEELING

That is the most heinous crime possible on a club run.

Which is why I'd never get on with a club. Too many rules and etiquette. I just like going out for a fun ride. Some of the MTB clubs are a bit too rule based also.

I can understand the need for the rules on the road though.

Some clubs - or more specifically, those Special club members; dont help themselves with their strict adherence toclub rules.

Some scare off new members by telling them they can only come on 2 club rides - then they got to pay membership .. I feel this doesnt promote a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Far better to allow them to join because they want to become part of the club.
Or insisting everyone has to wear a helmet. Nobody is legally obliged to wear a helmet - so if they don`t want to wear a helmet to protect their head, or knee pads to protect their knees if they fall if, its ultimately their decision to weigh up the risks and wear what they want.

The half-wheeling is a funny one. Once again its only the Special club members who insist on this .. and generally nobody takes those Special club members too serious anyways.

THE only rule I think all clubs should adhere to is the not spitting or clearing your nose whilst there are riders behind you. A face full of snot or spit is gonna upset anyone!

Half wheeling, that's a reasonable thing - if you're overlapped with someone's wheel and they swerve, you're going down and so is everyone behind you.  This is strictly observed on the track.

Also I think mudguards are pretty important.

The two (or N) rides before becoming a member is mainly down to insurance. Besides, turning up week after week is just taking the piss (see the thread about freeloading a cycling event).

Half-wheeling is a safety issue - in a tight group if the rider you are half-wheeling suddenly moves to the side to avoid a pothole or similar then you are on the way to eating tarmac.

.

Also I think mudguards are pretty important.

Funny enough, there was only one rider with mudguards this morning. But we were all so utterly soaked, and our faces so covered in road water, that I don’t think the most full-coverage mudguards would have made a difference.

I think there's a misunderstanding about what 'half-wheeling' is by some folk here. The more accepted definition is if you're riding side-by-side on the front, if one of you is always pushing half a wheel ahead of the other then the speed of the group cranks up. It's easy to find yourself doing it without even realising, but some folk do it on purpose which is annoying (bit not necessarily dangerous).

http://stevetilford.com/2013/08/05/half-wheeling/

As for all the 'rules' - there are loads of made-up rules and everyone has their own pet rule that is the most importantest ever. As far as I'm concerned, as long as someone rides with a good level of awareness and consideration for those around them then they're fine by me.

Unless they're wearing socks I don't like in which case I will push them off.

EDIT: forgot to say - glad you had fun OP! BIKE RIDING IS GREAT.

molgrips - you don't seem understand the term "halfwheeling". it's nothing to do with wheel overlap.

I got punched once on a club run for supposedly halfwheeling a clubmate.
We'd been side by side at the front of the group on the flat holding the same pace for over a mile and the gradient rose slightly. I held the same pace. He started struggling, lost the plot and punched me while mumbling something about me "halfwheeling" him. I just laughed and eased off. Old roadies look kinda brittle.

Which is why I’d never get on with a club. Too many rules and etiquette.

I've been in various different clubs over 30+ years and I don't ever recall having problems with "too many rules and etiquette". We just got on with enjoying riding bikes.

The reason half wheeling is unpopular is nothing to do with safety. A half wheeler is constantly pushing just a little bit above the comfort level of the group. They drift ahead, forcing the person next to them to increase their speed to catch up, whereupon the cycle is repeated. So a half wheeler disrupts the smooth operation of the group and can eventually break things up if they are strong enough and persistent. In a good social group where noone is trying to prove themselves, riders on the front will set a pace that is mutually conmfortable, take their spell and then move off to let someone else take their turn.

Half wheeling is just anti social!

When I have been on the front of group riides and have inadvertently upped the pace the person next to me simply tells me to slow down a bit. Seems to work just fine.

@geex if someone threw a punch at me while riding there is no way I would just laugh it off. Congratulations on your restraint. 👏

Glad you had a good time SaxonRider. You soon get used to the group ride vibe IME and it’s such a strange feeling to look down at your bike computer and see that you are riding at 10kmh faster than you think you are.

LOLS  at the people trying to explain half wheeling and getting it completely wrong. 😁

I'd always considered half-wheeling and overlapping wheels to be synonyms but apparently not. I stand (sit?) corrected.

Half-wheeling = pushing on ahead of your partner = anti-social increase in pace.

Overlapping= Not sitting level with your partner= safety issue.

Sounds like mooman should not join a club.