Our club rides

Anyone is welcome to come along and join in as a guest for up to three of our club rides.

Then you'll be asked to join, but before we accept your application, you need to complete either an introductory ride or a group riding skills session. You can find details and sign up elsewhere in the Clipping in section of our forum.

Our club rides are fun and friendly and we have a nobody-gets-left-behind policy, regrouping at all hills and turn points.

We have a mandatory helmet policy on club rides, so please make sure you wear one - no helmet = no ride.

We ask newcomers to start with our Sunday C Groups, introductory rides or group skills sessions.

Please take a moment to look through our Group Riding Guide if you are new to club rides.

A rough guide* for speeds of our club rides:
C groups are 12-13mph
B groups are 14-16mph
A groups 17-18mph
*Speeds may vary with terrain and conditions

Saturday mornings
Meet at 7am (fast) 8am (not quite as fast) outside the zoo entrance on the Outer Circle, Regent's Park for a 90-minute training session. Coffee afterwards. Note: if you are not used to riding in close formation, please attend one of our group riding skills workshops or introductory rides first.

Sunday mornings
We meet at Whittington Park, Holloway Road entrance, N19 4RS, for an 8.30am depart. We split into three groups, Group A, Group B and Group C. A is fastest, then B, then C.

Tuesday mornings
Meet at 6am outside the zoo entrance on the Outer Circle, Regent's Park for a 60-minute training session.

Tuesday evenings
(April-Oct)
We meet at Whittington Park, Holloway Road entrance, N19 4RS, for a 40-mile ride (6.30pm depart). We split into three groups, Group A, Group B and Group C. A is fastest, then B, then C.

Tuesday evenings
(Oct-March)
We run two special indoor training sessions at City Sport in Goswell Road at 6.15pm and 7.30pm. The static bikes have power meters and we do one-hour video programmes of virtual rides. Members can book these on the club shop. The cost is £3.

Wednesday evenings
(Nov-March)
Warm up from 6.30pm on the Inner Circle, Regent's Park, and pull at the college opposite York Bridge Gate at 6.45pm to organise groups for a chain gang session.

Wednesday evenings
(all year)
An evening ride of about 30 miles, meeting at Whittington Park, Holloway Road entrance, N19 4RS, for a 6.30pm depart.

There is also a regular Thursday session at the VeloPark.

Thursday evenings
(April-Oct)
An evening ride of about 30 miles, meeting at Whittington Park, Holloway Road entrance, N19 4RS, for a 6.30pm depart.

Monthly Introduction to Club Cycling Rides
These workshops will equip you with the skills, knowledge and confidence to attend one of our regular clubs rides with ease!

There are also many ad hoc rides organised through this forum.

Many of us like to take part in races, sportives, TTs, charity rides and audaxs, too.

Membership is £25/year or for new members £50 gets you the year of membership plus a club jersey. You can join at http://www.islington.cc

Junior membership (for under 16s) is £10/year and includes a club jersey.

Note the Saturday club ride now starts at 7am and 8am.

Hello - my daughter is interested in joining. She will be 15 next week. If we just come along for a try out does it matter what bikes she has? At the moment she has a lightweight hybrid, not a road bike. Can she start off with that before we find out how keen she is?

Hello +user6264 - thank you for getting in touch. We are always enthusiastic about increasing our junior membership - so your daughter would be most welcome. I think for the first time it would be ideal if you rode along with her, but I am assuming that you will be from your post.

Many people join us on hybrids, and it is not a problem. We don't drop anyone from rides, and make sure that the group is looked after and stays together. The average speed of the shorter ride is between 12-14mph.

My main tips for first timers probably revolve around base endurance fitness. Many people are surprised at how tiring 35-40 miles can be so do make sure you have a good level of base fitness by building up your miles on the bike, and bring plenty of food and water to keep your energy levels up. Also do make sure you dress appropriately with lots of layers - It's pretty cold out there at the moment, and being poorly dressed can make cycling in the winter pretty miserable!

Hope to see you both soon!

Spot on +Laura - juniors must be accompanied until they are 16.

Hello - I am a possible new member, and wondered if it was possible to join the Wednesday ride in Regents Park this week? I've had a look at the meeting info on the forum - I take it there's nowhere to leave any kit or valuables, and if so do people ride with them?

Thanks!

Izzy Jones

Hi Izzy,

Welcome along. There are no lockers etc, unfortunately. I live close by so pop home first... not sure what others do, but I guess - depending - what you have, a small backpack would be a solution.

I'm pretty sure you can use lockers at "The Hub" in Regents park but i've never used them myself.
http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/the-regents-park/sport-in-the-park-the-hub/facilities-at-the-hub/changing-rooms-and-showers

When i go to the wednesday ride i leave everything except my phone, keys wallet etc at work.

I stand corrected (said the man in the orthopedic shoe). Thanks @aidan.

Hello Islington CC. I'm looking at joining a proper club near to where I live to hopefully start competitively cycling in 2014. I'm keen to make my first ride soon. Hopefully this coming Sunday (19th) or the following Wednesday (22nd) for a Regents Park chain gang. Just need to get some mudguards.

Cheers,
James

Izzy - Welcome to the club. I look forward to meeting you on a ride soon.
As regards the ride this Wednesday, this unfortunately clashes with the club's annual general meeting. I expect that most club members will be attending the meeting. I would hate for you to go to the Park and wonder where everyone is!

Thanks for all the advice. I think that means I can't make it on a Wednesday evening as The Hub shuts at 5pm, but I'd like to join you on a Sunday if that's ok - I'll check out the details on that post!

Hi Shannonball, I am thinking of coming along for a trial session on Saturday. Can you tell me more about it. Do you do circuits of the Outer or Inner Circle? If so how many? Is everyone in one group or split into different capabilities? Is the focus on sprints or just endurance? Many thanks, Andrew

Hi Andrew. Im a regular on Saturdays so I can tell what goes on. This session is a lot smaller than Sundays session, so its not always possible to have 2 groups. Last Saturday there was 6 of us. On Sunday I think there were 30.

There are two times that members arrange to meet, 7am and 8am... although the 7am is the most popular.

Basically we do laps of the outer circle, as many as we can fit in between 7am and 8:30am. We generally maintain a pace of 20mph then head down to a cafe for a post-ride coffee and chat. Its a hell of a workout!

Let us know if you are coming so we can look out for you!
Samuel

Thanks Samuel, I currently do something similar; 5 x circuits of outer circle on a Tuesday morning (I am with CICLE a parents cycling group). Not sure what my speed is but I think its nearer 17/18mph (the circuit is 4.5km and takes me just under 10 mins). I've only been doing about 3 months! Okay well I'll come along and see what happens. So do we meet at 7am or 8am I'm not clear? Thanks, Andrew

There are Islington riders at both times, Andrew. Come as early as you dare. We ride anti-clockwise, so ride clockwise until you find us.

It's not very clear at all is it? Most people turn up at 7 so if you're there at 8 you'll get 2 or 3 laps in with everyone else before they head off for a coffee at 8:30 - Unless of course, the 8am crowd surprise us all.

Hi Andrew,

I think the simplest way to clear this up is to show up for 7am and ride clockwise till you find the others. They tend to always be there at 7am or there abouts.

Sometimes people show up for a different ride at 8am, but that is never guaranteed as the majority tend to ride on Sunday so we may have other commitments on a Saturday. I know a few of the guys on saturday have young families so will prefer to get their miles in early.

It is entirely up to you! Hope to see you on some club runs soon though.

Andrew,

Andrew. Welcome to the club! I look forward to seeing you on Saturday.

Richard

Hi
IslingtonCC your my closest cycling club and looking to join for fitness / competitive cycling and a few charity rides 60 m - 100m I want to do by the end of the year.

I have a decent level of cycling fitness (5 - 6 months) and wanted to come along to your sunday rides just curious to anything i should be aware of bring etc.

What kind of route is it?

Hi James
Take a look at our Strava Club. This should give you an idea of our club runs.
http://www.strava.com/clubs/islington-cycling-club

We recommend bringing the standard stuff:

• Spare tubes, pump etc..
  
• Food
  
• Hydration
  
• Money for Cafe
  
• Oyster Card (just incase you have a problem that isn't repairable road-side)
  
  

Welcome.

What time on Sunday guys 8:30 ?

8.30 at Whittington Park, Holloway Road entrance. We'll be the group in Lycra

Hi - Saw you guys out last sunday and if it's okay I would like to tag along for the first time tomorrow and will then join up next week.

Presume you still go out if raining ?

Johnny