An Introduction to Club Cycling - 9 May 2015

'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.

Next ride: 9th May 2015 at 08:30 am - meet at the Holloway Road side of Whittington 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. Details of how to sign up below. PLEASE READ

This is not a session for complete cycling beginners and we are not teaching cycling proficiency. See below for information.

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 setup 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 30 miles with several steep hills and only brief stops. If you're not yet comfortable at that distance please build up with solo rides before coming along.
  
• You should be interested in Road Cycling, have a desire to ride in a group and improve your skills
  
  

THE SESSION:

We will cycle a short route (25 miles approx) and discuss group formation, signals, group communication.
There will be a cafe stop at the end of our ride where will will discuss things such as endurance fitness, hill climbing and any other questions about the club.
The session should last a couple of hours, dependent on pace - we usually 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 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.
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:

A road bike that is in 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. Club members will help you if you are in trouble - but you should aim to be self-sufficient and at the very least be able to fix a puncture.
Energy food. We're only doing a short ride, so an energy bar or a banana will do. Make sure you start the day with a decent breakfast.
Water. Make sure that you can easily carry water with you on your bike.
Waterproofs and / or warm clothing. The weather can change quickly - make sure you have checked the weather report and dress appropriately.
Money. Either 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, please, 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 invest in 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.

Third time lucky for me...

Hello,

An experienced but very out of shape roadie here. Recently moved to London and looking for a new club and some help finding routes out of the big smoke. Hoping to make it on 9th May but I may have a prior commitment, in which case I'll see you in June.

Lorna.

Hello @user54381

Great! We use the I'm attending button to limit entries as these rides are usually oversubscribed, so if you can't make it then it would be good if you could indicate that when you know!

Thanks :)

Just signed up for my first club ride. Looking forward to it

I'm in too. Looking forward to it.

@AlexB @JK Great!

Looking forward to clipping in!

hi everyone, i'm hoping to join the club ASAP. I've done bits of group riding before, but would be keen to get a further introduction. I see this ride is full already! - Is there anywhere i can find out about drop-outs before the day? Would it also be possible to attend the Sunday rides having had reasonable experience before?? Thanks! Will

Hi Will. We encourage all those new to ICC to take part in the intro ride or a group skills session. However, you're welcome to join a weekend club run (Saturday Regents Park laps or Sunday C ride are a good start) in the meantime. Keep your eyes peeled for any dropouts as we sometimes get them on the intro ride

Thanks Alex. Hope to see you out in the coming weeks!

This sounds great, looking forward to it. We have both been commute-riding in London for over a year but would like to ride for pleasure more often! Looking forward to it! Are cleats necessary?
Thank you.
Matt and Jenn

Hi there Matt & Jenn

Cleats not necessary, just bring yourselves and your bikes (no locks, backpacks etc required, just some money for your coffee at the end!). Can I just check that you have both registered under different usernames? We need to know who is/isn't turning up as the volunteers helping out are limited and we don't want to overstretch any of the groups. Cheers

I just joined the club , can I still participate even though the event is full?

Hi Dany,

We encourage all newcomers to the club to do an intro ride or group skills session. As this one is full you may want to attempt the 8am RP laps (Saturday) or Sunday C ride and see how you go. We can always let you know if a place comes available but as mentioned before, we won't be able to take more than the registered 16 on the ride. Hope to see you on a ride soon!

Hello - is there going to be another one of these in June? How do I sign up? Thanks

There will be another in June. We tend to run them once a month and post the details of the next one shortly after the current so watch this space!

Thanks!

I can't make next week. There is one place available now.

Just signed up, looking forward to it. Thanks!

Had to bail on March's intro session but will keep an eye out for a space clearing this time

I've also unfortunately had to cancel my place on this one. Will keep an eye out for June's session

Thanks for letting us know, allowing someone else to take your spot. The one in June will probably be on the 13th, but this will be confirmed next week.

All confirmed and looking forward to it. Thanks for the message with lots of details. Will be giving my new bib tights their first run out - fingers crossed for comfort!

Lorna.

@Will_S someone dropped out if you want to join the ride?