An Introduction to Club Cycling - 11 January 2020

"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 40 km at an average speed of at least 20 km/h, 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 40 km 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 Highgate 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 straight, 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!

Zac,
Development Secretary

Looking forward to it, really enjoyed a ride with you guys earlier this year.

Hi everyone,

Hope you are all excited and looking forward to the intro ride this Saturday! We will be there regardless of weather.

We are all full up not and don't operate a waiting list, so if you can no longer make it please can you remove yourself from the RSVP list as this will allow others to sign up.

Also, if you are able to change your username from user123456 to something more recognisable, that would help our membership manager greatly when it comes time for her to process your membership application (should you decide to join the club after getting a taste this weekend).

See you all on Saturday.

Hi, I’ve done an intro ride already and a couple of Sunday rides, and have now signed up and paid my membership. My friend has signed up to this ride on Saturday and I was hoping to join but I see it’s full up. Is it possible to join as an extra given I’m not actually doing it as an intro ride or is it a blanket rule of maximum 17 riders? Thanks :)

Sophie it should be fine. Please come along.

Hi, I am looking forward to joining you on Saturday. I messaged Sean today to confirm my place. See you then, Tom

Hey, I am an experienced but "rusty" cyclist. I would like to tag along tomorrow but "computer says no" can just turn up tomorrow. Often see you guys on Wednesday morning at 0700 when I am doing RP circuits and you seem like a decent enough bunch ;-)

Adam S

@AdamS, afraid we don't operate a waiting list. But keep an eye out for drop-outs

@Carl_D That's fine, Windsor tomorrow then instead ;-)... Any other way I can audition to become a member of ICC?

Hi @AdamS the next session we are hosting that allows you to join afterwards is a Group Skills sessions on the 25th.
https://forum.islington.cc/events/5126/

Perfect and thanks @Zac booked in and I look forward to it..

+AdamS I've just noticed 2 drop outs above if you want to join us still. If not, see you soon hopefully

Ahh many thanks @StephendS I am booked in for the 25th Jan and looking forward to meeting you guys then. On my way to Windsor today 🚴🏽‍♂️

Thanks everyone for joining today’s ride. Here is the link to join the club;

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/club/profile/2040/islington-cycling-club

Looking forward to seeing you guys soon!

Hi - is there another intro ride coming up in jan? Keen to join you guys for a spin.

Hi @JoelHousego our next Intro Ride is on February 8th (https://forum.islington.cc/events/5125/)

However if you can't wait that long, we have a Group Skills session on Jan 25th (https://forum.islington.cc/events/5126/), which will also allow you to join the club once you've attended it.

Great, thanks Zac. Have signed up to the session on the 25th. Looking forward to it.