An introduction to club cycling - 02 February 2019

'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 I'm registered for this but just wondered if you could share the route in advance? It'd be good to have a ride on it in advance.

Liz

Good morning, I am one of the ride leaders for Saturday. I hope you are all looking forward to the ride. Please dress appropriately, especially given that we will ride at the pace of the slowest rider so you may want to wear/bring an extra layer.

I have also included a link to the ICC Group Riding Guide. If people could read this beforehand it will save standing around in the cold before we start cycling!

Now that this ride is full, if you can no longer attend PLEASE remove yourself from the event. Just click 'can't make it' at the top of the page so that your space can be freed up for someone else.

Also if those of you who's usernames are user12345 etc. could change them to something more memorable that would be great and ease admin should you decide to join.

Sorry I don't think we release the route in advance to help manage the numbers.

Stephen, how badly would I be frowned upon by showing up without mudguards?

If it is a if big deal I will join you another time (either on good weather or with a properly equipped bike)

You won't be the only one I'm sure, so thanks for asking but please do come and we'll let it go this once :)

Hi is the ride still going ahead??

Congratulations on turning out on a chilly morning @Dustan, @Stephen, @MarcoF. Look forward to riding with you again. @SallyB - please can you process their membership.

@DanJ, @KhaledHH, @user97101, @user97233, @user97253, @user68794 - we completely understand why you decided not to come out this morning and hope to see you on another intro ride soon. However, four club members did turn out this morning because we were expecting a group of nine, not three. If you have to drop out again another time, please let us know in good time.

Thanks for letting me know. @Dustan, @Stephen, @MarcoF... if you're planning on applying (or already have!) Can you let me know your full names please (DM me if you'd rather), I get a LOT of membership applications and want to make sure I tick the right people off. Thanks.

Hi ~Sally, my mistake. I'll DM you the full names.

Hi,
When is the next introduction ride please?
Thank you, Fiona

@FionaGarland Saturday 2nd March if you’re quick you’ll grab the last place!