An Introduction to Club Cycling - 8 August 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: 8th August 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.

I recently got a bike (my first in 10 years) and am trying to get out on it as much as possible- to get my legs, lungs and rear used to cycling again! I would love to come to this intro ride, if that's ok and hopefully join the club afterwards. Will work on my fitness/stamina till then and build my miles up. Cheers, Sam

you are more than welcome @FatSam

Looking forward to attending :).

Happy to lend a hand/show the ropes/pass on knowledge if required.

That is really appreciated @Danny I added you to the organizing thread and the list.

I love commuting to work on my bike and having completed the marathon in April, I'm looking to get my teeth properly into cycling! Looking forward to joining you all!

I second what @Danny says if you need another pair of hands

Thanks Deena, I'll add you to the thread

I have been looking for a cycling group and you guys have been on my door step all along, Can't wait to start!!!😊

Welcome +Sebastian

Hi All!

Just brought a new road bike after a 12 year break from riding mtb and am fully converted! Been training hard for the past 6 weeks round Regents Park / Hampstead and keen to join you guys.

Is there any prerequisite on minimum speed or group riding experience? I'm keen to learn to ride in groups but have no experience. Happy to share Strava profile or ride times if that helps?

Thanks

Chris

Hi all,

I've been commuting to work by bike for the last year but have recently started doing a few longer rides, such as London to Brighton last weekend. You guys are right on my doorstep so i'm looking forward to coming along for the introduction as i've never done any group/club cycling.

Thanks,

Jon

@user56580 Chris The intro ride is a loop of 43 km. We adjust the speed to the speed of the group (the slowest man/woman), but normally the average speed would be around 20k/h (C-speed) (+- 2 km/h). So if you feel comfortable at that distance and speed you should be fine. Note that this is not a training ride, we don't aim to push people, we want to show good group riding skill. Very few people will have experience with group riding, so no need to worry about that.

@Jon76 and Chris I hope you will enjoy the ride.

Thanks Martine

I just clicked the 'I am attending' button and it loks like I am in. Do I just turn up at Whittington Park on the day?

Yes, you're pretty much there in terms of all you have to do. We will be sending a message out to attendees a few days before the ride as a reminder and to confirm start times and locations!

Thanks Alex - looking forward to it.

I'm based in Belsize Park are most people local to Islington or is there some in NW3 too??

Do you guys tend to stick north or do you do club rides to Richmond and Surrey hills too?

Hi Chris

We try to very the rides and it's always good to have different people propose routes so I'm sure we can do a few Surrey Hills/Richmond rides if that's what you fancy.

As for where most people are based, I think the majority are north London but we have plenty of members from all over

Looks like I'm too late to join this one now - will the September ride be put on the forum after this ride has taken place (just trying to make sure I get in early enough next time :-)

@Kate_H yes the September one will be put on the forum after this ride has finished.

However keep the date of the August one free, as often people have to give up there space in the last week before the ride so you can take their spot. We don't keep a reserve list, so it is who respond first has the spot but if you select 'following' on the top right of this thread you will get an email when something is posted on this thread.

Hey guys,
I've just signed up - really looking forward to meeting everyone on the next ride!
Looks like I've missed out on this one! Am I able to go along to the Sunday ride as a non-member? Do groups A,B,C all meet together?

You're more than welcome to one of the Sunday rides as a trial. We normally recommend you try the C ride as the first one and then gauge your level from there. All groups meet at the Whittington Park on Sunday morning for an 8:30 departure

Hi,

I along with a couple of friends are interested in joining the club. I have a couple of questions - is it mandatory to go on an introductory session before joining or is it possible to tag along on a Saturday/Sunday ride? If an introductory session is mandatory, do you know when the next one will occur after the 8th August session?

Cheers,
Mike

Hi Mike,

You're welcome to try the Saturday/Sunday rides but we do encourage newcomers to join an Introductory ride if they can. We say this as it makes sure you are aware of any differences in our hand signals or calls. It's also a good way to build up confidence with group riding, and doubles as an introduction to the club too. The next one will be the second week in September.

As said, you're more than welcome to join in on a Saturday/Sunday ride, just make sure you introduce yourself to the ride leader and they will cover the calls off there.