Choosing a club

[sylvestermorgan]

I finally made the switch from pootling around on a £300 hybrid bike for the last 10 years to a full-on £1000 roadie. I went for my fitting yesterday in which time they had to show me how to use the gears on a roadie and how to clip in and out. Fortunately, my LBS was very patient - they needed to be.

I had my first tentative ride on new bike yesterday, which was a completely different riding experience to my old hybrid - not least the drop bar position and because i have only now have 2 rings on the front so have yet to work out my favourite gears. Still need to buy roadie clothes so look a bit of an idiot in track suit bottoms and a baggy fluorescent jacket.

Anyhow, I want to join a local club. There's a small club of 10 or so active riders a mile from me and a big club of 250 active riders with varying types of events and lots of socials, but they are 14 miles away. As a road newbie, any thoughts on the type of club I should join?

[Vorpal]

I think you should go for rides with both, and maybe a few others and see which suit you best for your goals & types of cycling.

[landsurfer]

I think you should go for rides with both, and maybe a few others and see which suit you best for your goals & types of cycling.

+1 Solid advice.
I've been in a quite a few clubs in the last 40 years as i moved around the country and you have to "try before you buy". Small clubs can be welcoming or cliquey and you can get lost in a big club and buried in a mass of conflicting advice. As Vorpal says try a few rides and see where you feel comfortable.

[thelawnet]

Definitely try out the local club. When I've been on a local CTC ride it's under a mile from my house, which is ideal for me then doing 30 miles or so (not on a road bike, fwiw). If it was 14 miles away, I'd just ride on my own.

You don't give much idea about distance, fitness, etc., so it's hard to say on that, but I'd start with something on the easier side of what you are capable of, and then see whether you want to go harder from that.

[LinusR]

And if all else fails... start your own club

[eileithyia]

Sound advise so far. Try before you buy.... go along to both. And don't be over ambitious.... try a ride below the level you think are capable of to begin with. And make sure you have some bits n pieces of spares with you.... nothing worse than a newbie with no puncture repair capability / no kit to do it with and inadequate clothing. Listen to advise on how to ride in a group and remember you will be expected to point out hazards as they will (should) be pointed out to you..... potholes, approaching parked vehicles, traffic lights changing to red necesitating stopping ... oh and don't suddenly stop if others are behind you.

[meic]

I wonder if you are ready yet to join that sort of club?
I have been riding for 14 years and have ridden some long Audaxes etc etc but I dont consider myself ready for that kind of riding.
The local CTC social rides might be a better place to start than a "road" club with a racing ethos.
So consider also looking at more "social" clubs if the "road" scene is a bit too daunting for now.

[gxaustin]

Trying them is good advice or course. Fourteen miles is a long way to go to start a club ride. I Have to cycle 7 miles to the start of many of my rides and it gets boring. If you drive then there is traffic to consider. In my case its evens whether I ride or drive so I ride. Do you want to ride on weekdays, evenings, weekends? Do they offer rides at your preferred times and paces?

[pjclinch]

i have only now have 2 rings on the front so have yet to work out my favourite gears. Still need to buy roadie clothes so look a bit of an idiot in track suit bottoms and a baggy fluorescent jacket.

As opposed to looking a bit of an idiot in full lycra and wraparound shades in the rain...

Favourite gears... the idea of gears is, just like in a car, to match the engine speed to the ground speed. Look to have your legs going round at a fairly constant rate most of the time. If you're going faster then a higher gear will keep the leg speed right, if you're going slower then a lower gear will keep the leg speed right. The smaller steps between gears on a road bike make it easier to tune that, and as regards when to go from the wee ring to the big one or vice versa, somewhere you're not cross chaining too much (just like with a triple, really, only easier with one less option).

Anyhow, I want to join a local club. There's a small club of 10 or so active riders a mile from me and a big club of 250 active riders with varying types of events and lots of socials, but they are 14 miles away. As a road newbie, any thoughts on the type of club I should join?

As has been suggested, try out your options and see how they fit. Clubs are about people, and you want people on your wavelength. You might find you're actually happier trundling around on your own, and you might want to be in multiple clubs for different vibes on different rides (I usually go on my own, sometimes with my wife, sometimes with the local CTC ride, I enjoy them all in different ways).

Pete.

[100%JR]

Try a few out as not all CCs suit everyone.
Many clubs have "social" groups and "welcome" rides to help new members.I'm a member of three CCs.One is a Charity Team with just an "A" (or fast) ride,one has A,B+,B and C groups and one has no groups but no one is left behind.
The CC with A,B+,B and C groups do welcome rides every month and they then advise where to start and introduce riders to group riding which some can find daunting or intimidating.Most start in group C but generally progress to B or B+.The C group(slowest) has quite a large turnout though as that is the social,more relaxed ride.
No matter what CC you join you will find some elitists.Every CC has them.Ignore them

[PH]

I wonder if you are ready yet to join that sort of club?
I have been riding for 14 years and have ridden some long Audaxes etc etc but I dont consider myself ready for that kind of riding.

If it's not the sort of club that welcomes people of all abilities, I wouldn't consider it worth joining at any point.
The OP doesn't say where they are (I think it a shame more people don't put their location with their name, but that's a different subject) doing so might lead to specific recommendations rather than generic ones.
They'll always be ready for their CTC group, though on many of the rides the hybrid would probably have been the better bike.

[sylvestermorgan]

Thanks all so far. This is really good advice. As one poster asked, I live near Cross Hands, West Wales, so the big local club is Bynea CC, which does indeed cater for a mix of abilities but is 14 miles (and a big hill) away from me. If I were to join them I'd realistically have to put the bike on the car and drive down to their clubhouse in Llanelli. TBH, I'm more in it for the social rides side anyway - I just worry about keeping up! Fitness-wise, I've had a hybrid that I've ridden 2-3 times per week for 1-2 hours during the summer months for 10 years or so. In the winter I use my spin bike for an hour a time, 2-3 times per week. I'm mid 40s so have no intention of joining the elite riders.

But yes as everyone has said, rather than join up straightaway I'll tag along for introductory ride at each and go from there. Before then though, I actually need to learn how to ride a road bike proficiently (positioning on the bike, gearing, cleats etc.) as everything is quite different from the hybrid land I've inhabited for so long!

[Vorpal]

I joined a club 11 miles away for similar reasons. Although I initially drove down with my bike in the car, once I got to know people a bit, I rode my bike down, did most of the club run, then left at a suitable juncture. That occasionally meant doing ride distance + 22 miles, but if I didn't feel up to it, I just bailed early, usually after the cafe stop.

[eileithyia]

Thanks all so far. This is really good advice. As one poster asked, I live near Cross Hands, West Wales, so the big local club is Bynea CC, which does indeed cater for a mix of abilities but is 14 miles (and a big hill) away from me. If I were to join them I'd realistically have to put the bike on the car and drive down to their clubhouse in Llanelli. TBH, I'm more in it for the social rides side anyway - I just worry about keeping up! Fitness-wise, I've had a hybrid that I've ridden 2-3 times per week for 1-2 hours during the summer months for 10 years or so. In the winter I use my spin bike for an hour a time, 2-3 times per week. I'm mid 40s so have no intention of joining the elite riders.

But yes as everyone has said, rather than join up straightaway I'll tag along for introductory ride at each and go from there. Before then though, I actually need to learn how to ride a road bike proficiently (positioning on the bike, gearing, cleats etc.) as everything is quite different from the hybrid land I've inhabited for so long!

I went from riding my teenage mid 70's 'girls' bike to riding my bf's spare bike on a club run. The best way to learn to deal with some of the new things I was presented with; gears, drops, rat trap pedals. While I had mastered the basics, I usually had someone riding alongside, telling me when to change down / up and generally giving good advise.

[meic]

so the big local club is Bynea CC, which does indeed cater for a mix of abilities

I havent reached mixed ability yet then.

The County Cycles bikeshop near you has an associated bike club in Llandeilo.
http://www.cmccyclingclubllandeilo.epageuk.com/
Even if you cant afford anything from them you could ask about any rides going.
I have done County Cycles' Christmas ride from the shop a couple of times, it is coming up soon. Rather than being in a fixed group you go round at your own pace naturally falling in with others of a similar ability.

If Bynea turn out too fast for you Swansea CTC start many rides from Gowerton which isnt much further for you. Their fast group is now quite "racy" compared to when it was more touring flavoured.

As for the hill between you and Bynea, you can go down the Swiss Valley and along the coast which is a pretty flat ride by local standards. To quote a cliche it is all downhill (going any way ).