An Introduction to Club Cycling - 11 July 2015

'An Introduction to Club Cycling' is a monthly ride run by ICC specifically for people who would like to try out the club cycling environment in a non-pressured and supportive group.

Next ride: 11th July 2015 at 08:30 am - meet at the Holloway Road side of Whittington Park.

You must be signed up for this event to take part. If you are not signed up here on the forum, you will not be able to participate. Details of how to sign up below. PLEASE READ

This is not a session for complete cycling beginners and we are not teaching cycling proficiency. See below for information.

ALL ABOUT YOU:

1.You should have already been cycling regularly in some capacity and be confident cycling on London's roads.
2.You should be familiar with your bike, its setup and be confident riding it. If you've only just bought your bike, take it out for a couple of spins on your own to gain confidence before you join a group ride with us.
3.You should have a moderate level of fitness already. Capable of riding 30 miles with several steep hills and only brief stops. If you're not yet comfortable at that distance please build up with solo rides before coming along.
4.You should be interested in Road Cycling, have a desire to ride in a group and improve your skills

THE SESSION:

We will cycle a short route (25 miles approx) and discuss group formation, signals, group communication.
There will be a cafe stop at the end of our ride where will will discuss things such as endurance fitness, hill climbing and any other questions about the club.
The session should last a couple of hours, dependent on pace - we usually get to the cafe stop in East Finchley between 11.30am - 12.30pm.

HOW DO I JOIN IN?

If you wish to attend this session you need to sign up to the ride here on the Islington forum.
Register as a user on the forum then click the 'Yes I'm Attending' button to confirm your attendance. If you see no places left, it is because the session is full.
Places are strictly limited - this is to ensure we can safely guide you on our route. Because of this, please do not attend this session if you have not signed up on the forum - you will be turned away.

WHAT TO BRING:

A road bike that is in good and roadworthy condition.
Check your wheels are true, that your gears shift reliably and your brakes work correctly. - Ensure your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure. Under-inflated tyres risk being punctured more easily.
Spare inner tubes, tools and a pump. Club members will help you if you are in trouble - but you should aim to be self-sufficient and at the very least be able to fix a puncture.
Energy food. We're only doing a short ride, so an energy bar or a banana will do. Make sure you start the day with a decent breakfast.
Water. Make sure that you can easily carry water with you on your bike.
Waterproofs and / or warm clothing. The weather can change quickly - make sure you have checked the weather report and dress appropriately.
Money. Either for the cafe stop or in case of an emergency (you might be in a situation where you need to get a train or taxi home! So bring enough cash or your cash card!)

WHAT TO LEAVE AT HOME:

BIKE LOCKS. Please, please, please leave your heavy D lock at home! You will not need it on this ride.
RUCKSACKS. You should be able to stuff all your things into jersey pockets - or invest in a saddle bag. Please aim to travel light.

OTHER STUFF:

ALL RIDERS MUST observe the Highway Code AT ALL TIMES when riding with Islington CC. This includes: riding no more than two abreast and riding in single file to allow traffic to pass on narrow roads, obeying traffic lights and signs, not riding on pavements and not abusing other road users.
Please acknowledge any courtesy shown to you by other road users and stop at pedestrian crossings where necessary.
Riders attend club rides strictly at their own risk. Please listen to your ride leaders and follow their instructions.

Look forward to seeing you all there. Picking my bike up tomorrow, so should be sufficient warmed up and familiar by July :)

Which one did you go for in the end? Feel free to post a pic in the 'What's New?' thread for us to drool over.

Hello,

I'm new here but looking to join the club at some point.

I was hoping to join this intro session but it's now full - is there a reserve list should someone drop out?

Thanks!

Hi @SamR

If you keep your eyes on this thread you might strike it lucky as people tend to drop out just before and a few spaces come available.

Thanks @alexD - I certainly will!

Cheers.

Mrs Shannonball - a long-standing member - would like to come on this intro ride, should a place become available.

Hi there, just signed up as a member of ICC. Please put me on reserve list if any cancellations. Thanks

@Sir_Shannonball and @jonathanos Great you want to join the intro ride. We don't have a reserve list, but if you press the follow button (on the right of the thread) you can indicate you want an email when there are new messages, such that you can sign up if people give up there place (this often happens).

@Sir_Shannonball @jonathanos I can longer make this one...so now a place going...

@Martine if it's still free can I reserve the space vacated by @IanK? Best wishes, Kayne

Just to make clear, as we don't do reserve lists the first to push the "attend" button gets the place.

For those still wanting to participate, keep an eye on the forum. As said before drop outs occur often.

Are we expecting a normal 'C' level ride on saturday as well?

I think it's worth checking the 'In The Saddle' section of the forum to confirm that as this thread is specifically for the Intro ride

Should spaces become available I would be very keen to join. I have just signed up. Many thanks,
Mark

Me too! If there aren't any places available this Saturday will there be another intro ride? or would there be another ride that I could join to make sure I'm up to the level? I'd love to join the club and do more riding - I think (hope!) I can keep up, but I'm not used to riding in a group or doing longer (80km+) distances.

@sharp11 There will certainly be another one in August (I would imagine, no one has confirmed this) - the introduction rides happen a roughly monthly basis.

I can confirm there will be one in the beginning of August. This will be announced once this one has finished.

Thanks @Ollie and @Martine !

Looking forward to the ride tomorrow!

If there any drop outs this morning before 8am give me a shout please!
Thank you.

Thanks for the intro! All very helpful :)

Well done to everyone who rode this morning. Our group was compact, orderly, and a lot of fun!

Many of the points which we covered this morning, and a few besides, are summarised in our Group Riding Guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Oug8np03OzHQr3MOX89ZLxIr14MdRWnQBxNoJeEtVWs/edit

Finally, someone left a PSP22 water bottle at the cafe. I picked it up. Please let me know if it was yours.

Lovely riding with you all! Looking forward to many more rides :)

http://www.strava.com/activities/343696621

Hi,

It was my bottle.

Thanks a lot for a great ride - really enjoyed myself.

Diane