Cycling UK Forum

The club I’m in is 6.5 miles to their meeting place for rides. Remember many of the rides they do will head back in the direction you’ve cycled in from - you can then veer off and go home.

If it’s the right club a few extra miles are worth it - you’ll be chasing them before long anyway.

meic wrote:

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 ).

Meic, I note from your profile info that you're from Carmarthen. I'm curious about Towy Riders, are they a club for developing children or is there an adult wing to the club? The reason I ask is that my 6 year old daughter is really getting into cycling and it would be great (and easier) if we were both members of the same club (noting that Bynea CC do both).

There is an adult wing.
It accommodates the children who have grown too old and others.
Rides were generally blasts down the B4300 and various returns along the lanes on the ridge to the south of it, last time that I asked. I suspect that some of these 18 year olds are rather fast.

My daughter was in Towy riders and they are good but if you cant attend on a regular basis you get sidelined and I stopped taking my daughter because she kept getting sent back to the basic group after missing sessions.

All of her training was on site and there were no adult members going out on combined group rides with the children as a regular part of club activities.

meic wrote:There is an adult wing.
It accommodates the children who have grown too old and others.
Rides were generally blasts down the B4300 and various returns along the lanes on the ridge to the south of it, last time that I asked. I suspect that some of these 18 year olds are rather fast.

My daughter was in Towy riders and they are good but if you cant attend on a regular basis you get sidelined and I stopped taking my daughter because she kept getting sent back to the basic group after missing sessions.

All of her training was on site and there were no adult members going out on combined group rides with the children as a regular part of club activities.

Thanks all so far for your contributions. Based on what everyone has said, here’s the plan. As one poster intimated, I’m new to road bikes and it handles very differently to my old hybrid (so joining a club, even if social riding is my aim for now, is probably not advisable yet). So I’m going to have a few weeks riding on my own so I can figure it out. Meic will probably be familiar with this, but I’ll give it a run out at the weekend on “Alp D” Bancffosfelen an old favourite of mine which is a barometer of how fit I am (1 mile of pure pain, average gradient 10%, but a section of 1 in 4 near the bottom and 1 in 6 near the top) followed by a high speed descent down the other side through Crwbin. Then in a couple of weeks down to County Cycles, who I’ve gotten to know over the last few weeks, to get kitted out in road gear. After which I’ll social ride with a few local clubs and decide from there.

I do have a question though – I will need a jersey, so am I best holding back on purchasing that until I properly join a club, then buy one of their’s in club colours, or should I just buy one anyway?

I assume wearing Club A’s colours on a social ride with Club B is a no-no!

Buy a neutral jersey first, you can wear it under a club jersey in winter

sylvestermorgan wrote:I assume wearing Club A’s colours on a social ride with Club B is a no-no!

It varies. KLWNBUG (easy riding) has riders wearing KLCC (racing) blue/yellow/white kit or Norfolk CTC (touring) blue/yellow kit to its rides not unfrequently and I think we've had KLMTB (errr, MTB?) blue/yellow/black too. It's been a long time since any KLWNBUG yellow/black/white kit has been on sale, which is yet another thing I should chase up.

Of course, if Club A and Club B do the same sort of cycling and are hot rivals in a regional league or something, it may be a different matter. Edit: another problem may be if a group recently left Club A in dispute and joined Club B instead.

I'd suggest buying something neutral until you're set on a club. Oh and not a full-on champion's jersey unless you've earned it at some level

Doubtless cycling jerseys with Y Ddraig Goch, the Red Dragon, are available

Cymru am byth!