1. I want to join the club, what do I do?
Come along and ride with us for a few weekends, and see if you like it. You do not need to be a member to ride with the club at first, but we do require you to join after a three rides with us if you wish to continue. Have a look at the How to Join page for more information on club membership.
2. When do you ride?
Our main rides at the weekend are the Bun Run on Saturday morning and the Sunday club runs. During the summer we have a Wednesday night run. Have a look at our club rides page for more information.
3. What type of bike do I need?
Most people in the club rides lightweight, dropped handlebar road bikes. A hybrid bike with slick tyres is OK, but the extra weight will make it a bit harder. In winter you must have mudguards, as riding without can make life very unpleasant for others if it is very wet. Many members have “winter bikes” for this purpose.
4. Can children join the club.
Yes, children are very welcome in the club! We have a well establish youth section in the club, the Squ.ids, and youth activities the entire year round. Look at the youth section of the website for more information.
5. I’ve never ridden in a group before, does that matter?
We ride fairly closely in pairs on club runs; this can be a bit daunting if you have never done it before. If you are new to group riding, start off at the back so that you can see how it is done and gain confidence.
6. What about traffic, I find riding in traffic scary?
Our club runs all use quiet roads in the country as much as possible. You will find riding in a group gives an additional sense of security and you will soon find your confidence growing as you see how others cope with traffic.
7. How fit do I need to be to ride with you?
The Bun Run on a Saturday is aimed at beginners so nobody is left behind. If you can ride around 40 miles at a reasonable average speed (say 15mph) you should be fit enough for a Sunday club run.
8. What about clothing?
We naturally like members to wear club kit and once you join the club you will be expected to buy club kit. We recommend proper cycle clothing, particularly cycling shorts with proper padding (worn without anything underneath), and closely fitting cycling jerseys. We also recommend cycling shoes with cleats for clip-in pedals. If it looks like rain bring a waterproof that packs up really small.