My local CTC group meets on Sundays just over a mile from home. I've been cycling with them regularly since September 2014. If the group was not so local to me I doubt I would have joined or taken up cycling at all.
Now that I am a more seasoned cyclist I also ride with two Forty Plus groups on Thursdays and have ridden (most weeks) around 20 miles (often more) to the start of the ride. I look forward to the extra miles and don't mind one bit. Only time/daylight is a factor, so in winter I may have to be more discriminating in my choices, but in summer I say "bring it on". Something around the 100 mile mark for a day out is perfect for me.
How far do you travel to ride with a cycling group?
Re: How far do you travel to ride with a cycling group?
Since sometime around 1980 I've cycled 1.5 miles for my regular Sunday club run suits me fine. Rides are from 45-65 miles usually sometimes further. Since retiring I've joined weekday rides starting 3- 9 miles from home Same total distance. I do like regular start points. Only use car for Audax starts 15+ miles away.
Re: How far do you travel to ride with a cycling group?
My member group has a day ride Sundays and an afternoon ride that meets up at the later coffee stop. People just drop in and out as they please. Some go straight to coffee, others go to coffee then do their own thing. The informal system seems to work quite well. People can combine all sorts of riding.
Last ride I lead, http://blog.ctc-cambridge.org.uk/2015/0 ... esden.html You'll get the idea.
Last ride I lead, http://blog.ctc-cambridge.org.uk/2015/0 ... esden.html You'll get the idea.
Supporter of the A10 corridor cycling campaign serving Royston to Cambridge http://a10corridorcycle.com. Never knew gardening secateurs were an essential part of the on bike tool kit until I took up campaigning.....
Re: How far do you travel to ride with a cycling group?
A new record for me today - 32 miles to the start and 116 miles in total for the day.
Re: How far do you travel to ride with a cycling group?
First post - hello!
25 miles, probably 35 if it was a "special" ride, i.e. joining up with a big event, a special annual ride etc.
N/A - I don't drive.
Not necessarily about distance, but cost. I'd want to pay no more than £25.00 for a return ticket. South West Trains are not cheap!
I'd want an hour of riding with the club before I'd travel my stated distance of 25 miles, their genteel rides are 11/12mph average.
I suppose I could also say that I'd be willing to spend an hour or two getting to a normal ride - be it cycling and/or public transport.
To veer off your original survey, but answering the wider question, I would have joined my local Portsmouth CTC for rides earlier if they had gotten in touch with me, as a CTC member. I am quite happy for local CTC groups to reach out to me in this way and I consider myself very averse to spam! Maybe upon joining and renewing, CTC could contact members to say "You have a local club within X miles of you, they're always welcoming to new members". A link to a list of local clubs on the joining/renewing email would be unobtrusive and relevant. Maybe a few sentences, written by the local clubs, introducing themselves.
Portsmouth CTC's home page starts with: "Welcome to Portsmouth CTC - the friendly club for anyone in Southeast Hampshire or Southwest Sussex who likes cycling. It doesn't matter whether you're an experienced cyclist or a beginner, or lapsed. Or whether you like to ride fast or just potter along enjoying the beautiful countryside of Hampshire and West Sussex"
If I had seen this on the joining/renewal email from CTC I would have almost certainly sought them out.
I am surprised with myself for not joining my local club sooner!
Philip Benstead wrote:How far would you would personally travel on a cycle to reach the start of a club run?
25 miles, probably 35 if it was a "special" ride, i.e. joining up with a big event, a special annual ride etc.
How far would you would personally travel in a car to reach the start of a club run?
N/A - I don't drive.
How far would you would personally travel by public transport to reach the start of a club run?
Not necessarily about distance, but cost. I'd want to pay no more than £25.00 for a return ticket. South West Trains are not cheap!
What is the relationship between the distance to the start and the length of the cycle ride, so if the cycle ride was say 20 miles how far would you travel to it?
I'd want an hour of riding with the club before I'd travel my stated distance of 25 miles, their genteel rides are 11/12mph average.
I suppose I could also say that I'd be willing to spend an hour or two getting to a normal ride - be it cycling and/or public transport.
To veer off your original survey, but answering the wider question, I would have joined my local Portsmouth CTC for rides earlier if they had gotten in touch with me, as a CTC member. I am quite happy for local CTC groups to reach out to me in this way and I consider myself very averse to spam! Maybe upon joining and renewing, CTC could contact members to say "You have a local club within X miles of you, they're always welcoming to new members". A link to a list of local clubs on the joining/renewing email would be unobtrusive and relevant. Maybe a few sentences, written by the local clubs, introducing themselves.
Portsmouth CTC's home page starts with: "Welcome to Portsmouth CTC - the friendly club for anyone in Southeast Hampshire or Southwest Sussex who likes cycling. It doesn't matter whether you're an experienced cyclist or a beginner, or lapsed. Or whether you like to ride fast or just potter along enjoying the beautiful countryside of Hampshire and West Sussex"
If I had seen this on the joining/renewal email from CTC I would have almost certainly sought them out.
I am surprised with myself for not joining my local club sooner!
Re: How far do you travel to ride with a cycling group?
Maybe upon joining and renewing, CTC could contact members to say "You have a local club within X miles of you, they're always welcoming to new members". A link to a list of local clubs on the joining/renewing email would be unobtrusive and relevant. Maybe a few sentences, written by the local clubs, introducing themselves.
The information is available if you look for it.
Firstly in the magazine on page 78 in small print under member benefits it says
Join any of our free, diverse, local rides.
There are thousands!
There used to be a list of contact details on the page opposite but now I think that comes on a separate sheet of paper, probably the back of the address sheet alongside the magazine.
To explain the less than prominent and multi-step nature of this information delivery you could look to the other side of page 78 where it says "why join CTC".
It doesnt mention going out for rides with the CTC but it does mention funding it
Re: How far do you travel to ride with a cycling group?
beardy wrote:To explain the less than prominent and multi-step nature of this information delivery you could look to the other side of page 78 where it says "why join CTC". It doesnt mention going out for rides with the CTC but it does mention funding it
Why of course...all the lunch breaks, rest stops, elevenses and afternoon teas are expensive, when out on a group ride. They have to be funded somehow!
Re: How far do you travel to ride with a cycling group?
As a teen I used to cycle 30 miles to ride with the CTC group from Lincoln. This was only on certain occasions though as it meant very long days. It had to be summer due to the very early starts too. The rest of the time I would ride with a racing club based 6 miles from home (no other choices).
Now I would not ride anywhere near so far to meet up. A round chip of 60 miles would already be enough in total for me these days - age catching up.
I'm working abroad nowadays so no CTC anyway. No local touring club here either.
Now I would not ride anywhere near so far to meet up. A round chip of 60 miles would already be enough in total for me these days - age catching up.
I'm working abroad nowadays so no CTC anyway. No local touring club here either.