An Introduction to Club Cycling - 1 May 2021

"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:

You should have already been cycling regularly in some capacity and be confident cycling on London's roads.

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.

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.

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 may 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 ICC 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.
Please note: If you sign up but do not attend, we reserve the right to restrict your future attendance to Intro Rides. This is due to high demand for spots on this ride. If you do sign up but cannot attend, please remove yourself from the attendance list so someone else can take the spot.

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!)

Mask/Face Covering. While not required to be worn while riding, please bring a face mask for when entering shops or potential cafe stop at the end of a ride

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.

Feel free to read our Group Riding Guide for more details: https://islington.cc/s/ICC-Group-Riding-Guide-Updated-August-2020.pdf

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

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Hi @Zac
i would like to join this session if possible, could you please add me on the list?
thanks

Hi @Zac, will there be other dates for intro sessions?

Hi, would like to join but seems like this one is full. Would you host a similar event in June?

Hi - I would love to join this session if possible too! Is it possible to add me on the waiting list?

@Zac Need to attend this to renew my membership! Shall I turn up and also give you some help? Happy to split them and I co-lead one.

Hi @Zac! Hoping to join an intro session - is there a waiting list for this one or will there be more dates added to the calendar?

The list for the June ride is open now!

Thanks! I will sign up now.

Hi
Please can you tell me how to sign up for rides? I applied to be a member last week. Thank you!

Would love to attend this. Would it be possible to be added on to the waiting list?

Hey @Zac I'd love to join the first introductory ride!

Hi, I would love to join as well please! Helene B

Sara, Rahul, Martin and Helene: currently the ride is fully subscribed (where it says 25/25 at the top of the page)
Keep checking back on this page though as people drop out from time to time.... if there is a spare place there will be an obvious “Join Event” button at the top.
We don’t maintain any queuing system or waiting list so check back early and often, right up to day of the ride.
There is an Intro Ride every month. You could otherwise join a Group Skills ride to complete your membership process.

Hi where can I find group skills ride ?

Also Is it possible to register now for the ride in June then ?

Many thanks
Hélène

Hi Helene,
Group Skills here - it’s a pinned thread in the Clipping In section of the forum.
The June Intro Ride page will be opened closer to the event. When we opened the event months in advance we found people were signing up to the rides months in advance, forgetting to diarise/turn up, blocking slots that others could have used.
Also, could you please change your forum username from user12701206 to something more recognisable, such as Helene B? There’s a profile link top-right of this page.

I would like to join Introduction to cycling session on the 1st May. Is there a particular registration form I need to complete?

Thank you

Dovile

All the new intro classes are booked for the foreseeable - is there any chance of a new event being diarised please? Thanks

See https://forum.islington.cc/comments/15936346/ Intro rides are generally on the first Saturday of the month. Its also worth keeping an eye out as people often cancel the day before or even in the morning.

Hi @BrianH as Stephen just mentioned Intro Rides are on the first Saturday of each month (unless there is some kind of clash). These get posted periodically to avoid having rides booked up 6 months ahead of time and then being forgotten about.

You can choose to be notified by email for when new events are posted by following a thread or even any sub-section of the forum by clicking the Follow button at the top of any page.

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Couple of spaces available on tomorrow's Group Skills session: https://forum.islington.cc/events/5744/

I'd love to attend May 1st.

Looking at the attendance list for this event, there are a couple of you who have already attended a session and have successfully joined the club. If possible please can you relinquish your space so that others can take your spot and get their membership started? If you're still a bit nervous about club riding you will be in very safe hands on our Green Sunday rides and I really recommend going along to one of those to boost your confidence.

Thanks,

Hey I see the event if full but is it possible to join still?

@Zac Hello, I would like to join Introduction to cycling session . But seems all are full, is there any other slots available or when will be next one be?

Thank you
Sameer