Cycling Clubs (To join or not to join)

Summer comes, you get the bike out and off you go. Who needs a cycling club? After all they are for racers aren’t they. They are only for those on road bikes going at 30k + and all you want is to get a bit fitter and knock off those extra pounds before the holidays. Let’s face it you would never keep up with them anyway and you don’t want to be last. You just want to do a few k not the 100k that these clubs do on a Sunday. There’s not a lot to cycling is there? You push the pedals around and away you go. So that’s it why bother?

A couple of things to consider. Not everyone in a club is a racer. Not everyone rides a road bike. I certainly don’t hit 30k + (unless it’s downhill of course). If I’m not last in, someone else is. I don’t keep up with the fitter lads and lassies but every now and then they stop and wait for everyone to catch up. Not everyone does a 100k on a Sunday. Clubs also do 20k cycles to get people cycle fit and they progress at their own rate to 40k, 60k and so on. Not everyone wants to push 100k and most clubs cater for the shorter cycles. When it is wet or cold I know there are some other fools heading off on a cycle and it gets me out to join them. When I find the going hard someone tucks in front of me and helps me along. When the hills and wind get to me and the legs are giving out, there is someone there to encourage me to keep going. Yes cycling is just a case of pushing the pedals round. It’s a bit like moving a pile of bricks. You can do it the easy way or the hard way. So why not join a club, it makes the journey easier and a bit more fun. Get the bike out of the shed and take it for a spin with a club this Sunday