Cycling UK Forum

Woody Allen, "I'm not afraid of death, I just don't want to be there when it happens".

Marcus Hummon, "God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you".

mjr wrote:It could be worse: I'm told the Civil Service Motoring Association is rebranding as "Boundless"

Yes, I received an envelope full of "bumph" telling me how great the CSMA will be now it is called Boundless. The powers that be say the organisation has a new 'stylish' logo. The logo is the word boundless (no capital B) in a font not too dissimilar to the cycling UK branding. It probably cost a fortune. The members' magazine used to be about motoring but is now "lifestyle"; holidays in France, fine wines, weekend breaks etc. Any cars that are featured tend to be at least in the £20,000 bracket and above. I'm a former civil servant but still a member and all the features in the magazine are way above my pay grade. The publication ends up in the recycling bag the day it arrives - as did the CTC magazine. Change is not always better.

flat tyre wrote:I first joined CTC nearly 40 years ago, even back then it's image seemed to be dated and associated with blokes with grey beards, sandles and large saddlebags, doesn't seem to be much different now. So, if it truly aims to be a national cycling organisation it definitely needs a change of image, if the rebranding achieves this it's a Good Thing in my view. Fortunately for some of you I didn't notice the voting form in amongst the guff inside the magazine wrapper so it doesn't look like I will be voting.

I don't have a grey beard, wear sandals or have a large saddlebag (and what is wrong with any of those things?) but I do enjoy cycling for pleasure either for a full day or just a couple of hours. The Cyclists' Touring Club used to cater for people like me but not anymore. There seems to be an obsession with many organisations about getting younger people to join. There is nothing wrong with that but don't forget the long serving members who got the 'club' this far. I do not want to be a member of a "charity" that is trying to be a pseudo political force. I ride my bike to escape from the pressures of everyday life and enjoy the outdoors. I want to share that enjoyment with other like minded people - which I can do via this and other forums. I do not need or want "Cycling UK".

A rare chance to enjoy my Bianchi C2C in the Cumbrian sunshine. I used some "clip-on" mudguards and carried jacket etc in a Carradice Barley saddle bag supported by one of Carradice's quick release bag frames.

I really must ride this beauty more often!

Lance Dopestrong wrote:Doesn't other me, its Just a name. It been years, decades perhaps, since the CTC solely catered for the touring rider, and the name change reflects that. Keeping the old name and logo doesn't alter the fact that the remit is now much broader and they promote the interests of all cyclists, not just those who wear socks with their sandals.

If you think it's just a club for touring cyclists then you're either in denial, or think it's still 1973.

The organisation moved on years ago. Now is just a rebrand - the substantive nature of the club has long since changed. Even if they kept the old name and logo you're still too late. It's been and gone, and that's was way back when.

I think you completely miss the point of the main argument against the name change. Yes, there is the misty eyed nostalgia of the old Cyclists' Touring Club and the ethos associated with that but much of the debate has been about how the "management" have destroyed a club and formed a commercial charity without considering the membership. Change happens but a good leadership will lead and not bully the followers into submission.

Your signature; "It's now called Cycling UK - get over it", is premature. There is a vote of the full membership to be taken. If the majority vote for the change then, fair enough, the rest must accept it - that's democracy. Should the majority say "No" to the new name the management have indicated that the name change will stand anyway. Do you really want to be a member/supporter of something that treats its members/supporters with such obvious contempt?

The new name and logo is appalling, my three year old grandson could have done better. The logo is so anonymous that I only noticed it at the forum head when another person mentioned it. The old "Cyclists' Touring Club" may have been very specific as to the type of riders it was aimed at but at least you could discern that from the name. "Cycling UK" means nothing and will be confused with "British Cycling".

As I've mentioned on another post, many of us joined a club. That club has now been hi-jacked by career executives looking to climb the corporate ladder. If you are happy to belong to such an organisation then fine but have some understanding of those long term members who feel very betrayed.

Copied from an entry about the latest CTC magazine on another thread.

I've been having a clear out of old magazines and general "stuff" and came across two copies of Cycletouring from the 1970s.

The October/November 1977 edition had a black and white photo on the cover of three touring cyclists near Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria. The whole magazine was printed in black and white and there was no 'in your face' graphics that assault the senses these days. The August 1978 edition had a colour painting on the cover and marked the 100th birthday issue and looked back at the history of the club.

They appear dated now but were full of reading including looking to the future; ....it was agreed that (i) the major part of the Club's resources should continue to be allocated to the promotion of cycletouring; (ii) qualified members be encouraged to undertake the leadership and organization of more group tours, particularly for young or inexperienced cyclists....


The magazine reflected the views and workings of a club, not a commercial charity trying to change the world at its members expense. It is little wonder that, given recent events and a major change in the ethos of what was the Cyclists' Touring Club, that this forum is full of very aggrieved and disappointed people.

I've been having a clear out of old magazines and general "stuff" and came across two copies of Cycletouring from the 1970s.

The October/November 1977 edition had a black and white photo on the cover of three touring cyclists near Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria. The whole magazine was printed in black and white and there was no 'in your face' graphics that assault the senses these days. The August 1978 edition had a colour painting on the cover and marked the 100th birthday issue and looked back at the history of the club.

They appear dated now but were full of reading including looking to the future; ....it was agreed that (i) the major part of the Club's resources should continue to be allocated to the promotion of cycletouring; (ii) qualified members be encouraged to undertake the leadership and organization of more group tours, particularly for young or inexperienced cyclists....


The magazine reflected the views and workings of a club, not a commercial charity trying to change the world at its members expense. It is little wonder that, given recent events and a major change in the ethos of what was the Cyclists' Touring Club, that this forum is full of very aggrieved and disappointed people.

You have posed a very good question regarding the artist formerly known as Cyclists' Touring Club. I was a member for over 20 years but did not renew when the club stopped being a club and became a charity. An increase in subs also made me look at what I was getting from the club. I did not rate the magazine (in the latter years) at all and generally put it in the recycling bag the day it arrived. My life style prevented me from joining any local CTC group and I didn't know of one anyway. My reason for joining was to support an organisation that was part of a lifestyle I enjoyed. Although I've never taken off on extended tours my cycling has always been for leisure - day rides mostly - and I wanted to be part of a like minded group. My main contact with the CTC has been this forum which I visit every day. It's worth mentioning that when my membership lapsed no-one contacted me to remind me or to ask why I had left.

Change is something that happens all the time and I understand that organisations cannot stand still. However, when the club you joined stops being a club and the emphasis and ethos changes, there comes a point when a parting of the ways is inevitable. As has been mentioned on other threads, the way this whole saga has been handled and pushed through leaves some of us feeling alienated. Even though I am no longer a member I feel very betrayed by the "powers that be" who obviously have pseudo political agendas and are using a once fine club to further their own ambitions. I no longer know what the organisation is for.

I am a member/active supporter of a Christian charity and knew, before I joined, what that would mean. All members pay an annual membership fee and also pay extra donations throughout the year. We give up a lot of spare time to make the charity work. I don't mind this because I believe in what the charity does and knew what I was signing up for. There are no member benefits other than knowing we are helping people. That organisation is undergoing some big changes to comply with EU legislation but the purpose of the charity will remain the same. What has happened to the Cyclists' Touring Club has been a total demolition job.

I am now a member of British Cycling. I've never raced but do follow the continental road racing closely, have a collection of race DVDs and have been to the Tour de France twice. If my subs help British cyclists further their sporting careers and increase cycling's profile in this country, then I'm fine with that. Let's face it, Bradley Wiggins and company have done more to put cycling on the UK map than this organisation. In return I get the insurance and occasional special offers/discounts etc at a cheaper rate than being a supporter of the former Cyclists' Touring Club.

It is easy to criticise and be negative on a forum like this but when something you believed in has been hi-jacked and changed out of all recognition then I don't blame anyone for feeling miss-led and let down.

I have an old Karrimor "Bum-bag" (Cyclone 7) which has two main compartments and two mesh side pockets for water bottles. It's back is padded and the whole thing is very well made. My wife has just stopped using a small Karrimor back-pack which has finally given up the ghost after many years of use and abuse! They don't make them like they used to.

I bought several cycling jerseys branded Karrimor from Field and Trek a few years ago. They were £7 each and are very good. F&T also had them under the Muddy Fox label. I did not know then that F&T were part of Sports Direct and that Karrimor existed in name only. Having found out how Sports Direct operate I refuse to buy anything from them but the jerseys are still doing a good job. It just shows that you do not know who you are dealing with these days.

The video is on YouTube but who will know about it apart from existing members/supporters? If it's meant to inspire people to get involved I'm afraid it did not work for me.

An old episode of the TV comedy "Father Ted" featured a priest who claimed to have the most boring voice in the world - he has just lost his crown! Some bloke sitting in front of a blank wall and radiator is not a good image to promote. Someone must have thought this was a good idea - says it all really.

What about the ballot of all members - or shouldn't I ask?

I subscribe to a great American publication called "Adventure Cyclist" which is the house magazine of the Adventure Cycling Association. It is totally about touring and although mainly concerned with the USA, also features tours across the world. It is well laid out (no in your face graphics for the sake of them) and is very well written.

It sounds like the organisation is getting a bit short of cash. This will only get worse when the government change the rules about charity status.

My wife once responded to a TV appeal - "text £5 to ****". Since when we have had many 'phone calls and texts asking for more, not to mention countless leaflets through the post. They must have spent far more than the original £5 she gave. We will not be doing that again.

This is one of Rixen/Kaul's small bags. They are the people who make the Klickfix mounts. It's handy for camera, snacks etc. and should fit the bill regarding 'bar' space.

Their sale stars on Thursday 18th Feb and runs until Saturday 20th Feb - shop callers only. There are huge reductions. Last time this happened there were long queues down the street and they only let a few people in a a time.