An introduction to club cycling - 03 November 2018

'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.

If you wish to join ICC then you will need to complete one of the compulsory training sessions, either this Introduction ride or the Group Skills in Regents 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.

PLEASE READ

Unfortunately we cannot offer this session to complete cycling beginners as we are not teaching cycling proficiency.

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 set-up 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 25 miles at an average speed of at least 12 mile per hour, with several steep hills and only brief stops. If you're not yet comfortable at that distance or pace please build up with solo rides before coming along.

4.You should be interested in learning how to ride with a group, and open to improving your cycling skills and communication with other riders.

THE SESSION:
We will cycle a 25 mile route and discuss group formation, signals, group communication.

There will be a cafe stop at the end of our ride where we can discuss things such as endurance fitness, hill climbing and any other questions about the club. Depending on pace, we should 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 (please help us by creating an actual name rather than the default username) then click the 'Yes I'm Attending' button above to confirm your attendance. If you see no places left, it is because the session is full. We do not maintain a waiting list so please keep checking back in case a place becomes available.

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:
As with all club rides, you must wear a helmet to take part in this ride.

Your bike must be in a 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.

Spare inner tubes, tools and a pump. Other riders may help you if you are in trouble but you should be self-sufficient and at the very least be able to fix a puncture.

We're only doing a short ride, so an energy bar or a banana will do for food. Make sure you start the day with a decent breakfast!

Bring water, making sure that you can easily carry it with you on your bike.
The weather can change quickly so make sure you have checked the weather report and dress appropriately (waterproofs/warm clothing when appropriate).

Money 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 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 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.

Looking forward to seeing you!

Alec,

Development Secretary

Hi Alec,

Do you have any tips on how to build confidence on roads and build endurance prior to joining a group ride?

I can ride a bike, but I'm new to riding in a city, so I only go at quiet times or on quietways because I find the traffic intimidating (cars and faster cyclists). I also haven't gone more than a few miles at a time. I really want to do more, but I'm not sure how to start in a way that feels less intimidating. Do you have any kind of pre-Introductory Group Rides, or any slower-paced members who wouldn't mind doing a shorter ride with me to help me get up to speed? I haven't found anything like that in Islington/Shoreditch yet, so any tips or recommendations would be very appreciated!

Thanks

Hi Elizabeth,
I talk to quite a few riders who are in the same position as yourself and mostly I recommend riding around Regent's park, either by yourself or by coming along to one of our Group Skills sessions, which are on the inner circle where there is next to no traffic. The outer circle gives you a nice step up from there into riding with other cyclists and having cars come past you but generally because everyone is going around in a circle it's less daunting than trying to navigate any right hand turns into traffic. Laps may sound a bit boring but they are a great way to get your fitness up as you rarely have to stop for lights/turns. If you'd like to start traffic free then set your alarm clock and get to the park before the gates open to traffic (7am).

If you don't like the sound of laps at all then I'd recommend trying out a Breeze ride https://www.letsride.co.uk/breeze as they do all sorts of rides at varying levels and are an incredibly friendly, welcoming bunch (just like us!).

+ElizabethB in addition to what Sally says you could try:

1. Most Councils (and you could try where you work as well as where you live if you have problems) will do some free 1:1 cycling confidence training. I did 2 2 hour sessions with my children a few years ago and they were really good - first one was in a park, second one we did our school run. I think they will take you on your commute and give you advice about routes/scary junctions etc.
   
2. You could try LCC as there local groups often do slower/shorter rides.
   As Sally says, Regent's Park is good, though the gates open to cars at 6.45am and its obviously dark at this time of year. I suppose the velopark road circuit is another option though there are often some very fast cyclists there.
   

Hi there,

I'd love to join this ride next weekend but I see that it is currently fully booked. If there is a drop out and a spare space becomes available, please could I join?

Thanks,

Mark

Update: someone just dropped out so I've signed up. Thanks!

Hi, I would like to join the ride next Saturday but notice that the session is fully booked. If someone drops out would you be able to let me know please?

Thanks

Please keep an eye on this thread and should a space become available, just grab it! Unfortunately there is no automated function for this, so just keep an eye on it. Sometimes people drop out without releasing their space on the forum (which is what we try to avoid and keep reminding everyone to kindly release their space if they change their mind). You can always have a stroll at WP, just in case, but we can't know in advance as it's down to every participant to communicate effectively with us.
Please, also try to change your username to something identifiable and avoid "user1234".
If the IR is still full, you can try one of our GS sessions if you don't want to wait for your membership approval. ;)
Thanks and good luck!

@rwils1990, @Matt.E, @JennieH, @HarrisKersh1, @AndyGarland, @Nina, @Trapvincenzo, @Gareth.j, @Mia, @Charlie_Galloway , @Dan.J, @Alex_Walley, @StephenCant, @TomS, @AdamC , @user95182, @Sara_S

Hope you’re all excited for Saturday! Weather currently looks chilly but dry and we tend to take the ride at quite a relaxed pace to ensure that everyone is comfortable riding in a group, so please wrap up warm.

As mentioned above, no need to bring huge rucksacks, big bike locks or the kitchen sink but please do make sure you’re prepared for any punctures or mechanicals that may happen on the side of the road (spare inner tube and a pump at a minimum). And please bring any on ride snacks you may want or need, we don’t stop at a cafe until the end of the ride, but will stop at the top of any notable hills so there’s plenty of time to eat something you’ve brought along with you if you're not confident eating whilst riding.

If you can no longer make the ride then please do remove yourself from the event so that someone else can come in your place – we do always have people waiting to get on these rides and it’s really frustrating when we don’t have full attendance on the day.

I’ll be one of your ride leaders on the day, if you have any questions in advance then please post it on here. Other than that, looking forward to meeting you all on Saturday morning.

@user95184 a space seems available now (if this is still your username)

Hi, my husband, Andy Garland, can’t come anymore so there will be an additional space tomorrow

Apologies I can’t cancel his acceptance but hope someone can take his place

Thanks Fiona

Hi,
Do you know if this space has been filled, as I would be keen to join if there is a space? Thanks

Hi @RobynW - no other replies, feel free to come

Great thanks, see you tomorrow .

Hi all,

Annoyingly I’ve just got a flat as I was preparing to cycle over. Going to try and repair as fast as poss but it’s looking unlikely that’ll I’ll be able to make it in time. So frustrating!

Apologies,

Mark

Update

@Alec @SallyB I still haven't received any confirmation/email about joining the club following this ride. I've paid my membership and tried emailing [email protected].

Cheers

Hi Tom,

Apologies, I must have missed you off when I was adding the people who'd attended this ride into my pending membership spreadsheet. Have added you on and will get this processed today.

Thanks!

If anyone wanted to come and didn't get a place or couldn't make it there are plenty of spaces left on this Saturday's Group Skills ride - https://forum.islington.cc/events/4326/#comment14504505