An Introduction to Club Cycling - July 2, 2016

Alex
I want to make some comments on the tone of your introductory text. I talked to people from CC in Finsbury park at the bike week thing a couple of weeks ago about finding other people to ride with. We talked about the problem with sport riders dominating clubs and there not being anywhere where very experienced riders such as myself and my partner who ride everywhere across London and do touring, can ride with other like minded folk. We ide for pleasure not competition. The CC people said we weren't alone and to come along and do an introductory ride - so here I am looking you up but we are seriously put off which is a shame and here is why.

1. I will decide if I wear a helmet not you. It is not the law and there is no evidence that it makes my cycling experience any safer. CTC have done alot of work looking at this issue and you have no right to to insist as we would be coming at out own risk. I have riden on the road for 50 years now in dense traffic, the countrysidee, off road etc and never hit anything, been hit or come off.
   
2. I always carry a lock and it is no hardship to do so. Probably the reason I don't get my bike stolen. Who is to say whether I might wish to dip out or stop somewhere.
   
   

Sorry to be so critical but you tone is very dictatorial. Perhaps you can point us in the direction of someone in the club who has a rather more felxible and open approach that we could do an introductory ride with, as we are still keen to find people to ride with.

Thank you