An introduction to club cycling - 05 May 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.

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. Details of how to sign up below.

PLEASE READ

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

If you are new to the club please make yourself known to the ride leader so they can confirm your attendance to our membership manager.

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 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. Under-inflated tyres risk being punctured more easily.

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!

Hi, I'd like to join this session. I've got no experience riding in groups but I'd say the distance would be fine. Does that sound about right? Where would we meet? Thanks!

PS sorry - my name's Paul Mortby (will try to figure out how to change my username...!)

Hi Paul,
We meet 8-20 in Whittington Park by the Holloway Road entrance for an 8-30 briefing. No group-riding experience is fine - that's mostly what this session is for.

Hello. I have a little experience riding in groups of 3-4 riders, but nothing larger. I would like to try your club, get more comfortable with club rides, and enjoy UK cycling.

Hello! I'd really like to give Islington CC a go and this introductory session sounds perfect. Are there any more spaces available on this date?

Hi @MattJ124 currently this event is full but worth checking back on this thread between now and May as people may drop out and leave a space open.

Hey, when do you usually post the next months session? Ie. June?

Hiya, you'll find details for the 2nd June Intro Ride here

Hey, I would like to join this ride if a space becomes available! Thanks in advance.

Hi there,

I've paid for my ICC membership through British Cycling, however there is no explanation how and when I get to join the club and what's the progress of the membership.

I've ridden with some of the ICC members already and it's a lovely bunch of people, hence I decided to join the club.

I've requested to join the Strava club too.

Sorry for posting here, but I didn't really know where else to bring up this question.

Hi, If you haven't done so already, you need to attend a Group Skills session or an Introductory Ride (such as this one) before your membership will be approved. It's a mandatory session that we require all our new members to attend. Once you've attended one of these your name will be passed to the membership manager and your application will be processed. You can find loads of opportunities to attend these sessions in the clipping in section of the forum.

If you've already attended one of these sessions, your membership will be processed shortly and you'll be part of the club before you know it.

Hi is clicking attend all you have to do to join this ride?

Hi Sally,
Thanks for your reply!
It seems like I need to do the Introductory Ride on the 5th of May, although I've ridden with some of your A-group members previously. I was hoping that I can join you as early as this week so I can participate in some rides this coming weekend, but I suppose I have to wait until the first introductory ride.

Yes (assuming there is an available space, which there was) and turn up 8:25 on the day

Great! Then count me in for the 5th of May :)

Currently this one is fully booked . If you keep an eye out then a space might open up and you just need to click that you are attending at the top of the page. Unfortunately if you're not signed up then you will be unable to come along to this ride (due to safety we have to limit the number of riders allowed at each session). Have a look at the Group Skills sessions as well, they are more frequent and usually less busy.

Hi Sally, thanks for your reply! I don't really see where this "click" button is. Is it missing because it's already fully booked?
It would be quite frustrating if I have to wait for another month if I've already paid the fee to join the club, but I see you have your policy in place...
If I have to do group skills sessions, isn't this more suitable for beginners? There is no space for the 28th of April either.

Hi, I appreciate your issue but this is club policy and sometimes people do end up having to wait a little while before they can attend a session. Your annual membership won't start until it has been approved by the membership team, so your renewal date will be pushed back as well.

We do tend to have people drop out at the last minute as their plans change so please do keep an eye out for these free spaces. Yes, the reason you can't see the button is because the ride is full.

As for group skills sessions being for beginners, I can assure you they are not and all our rides teach the same principles. The intro ride is a good option for those who aren't sure if they can manage the speed and distance that is involved with club riding and want to experience this before committing to membership.

Hi user, the group skills sessions are there to ensure everyone is on the same page when it comes to riding as part of a group, which can vary from club to club. They also act as a welcome and allows you to have a coffee with other new club members and ask the session leaders any questions. I know it can be frustrating waiting for a slot to become open but you can almost guarantee that someone will drop out the night before so keep an eye out on the 4th. In the meantime you should still be able to ride with the club this weekend as a guest.

Hi, Wondering if there are any spaces left on this ride?

Just removed myself so 1 Place free now

Battling a knee injury. My space free now

Been ill all week - was hoping I'd be better by now but no such luck. My space is free too.

Hi all, I'm really sorry but we are struggling to get enough volunteers to run the session tomorrow.

We might try and move it to next Saturday. Your spaces will still be reserved.

Ignore that message. We are 100% good for tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing everyone!

Alec