Discussion
Quick question about riding clubs
I live in Portsmouth and just about to buy my first road/race bike; havent got a large budget (probably nudging £700, but i should then be able to upgrade progressivly)
i've been using my hack bike and been clocking up to 30 - 35 miles in a ride, and thought it was about time to join a club and push my riding.
I'm 21 so I do realise that i've started a bit late to go competitive racing
but my cousin (same sort of age) races and has the advantage of racing a cycling for a good number of years
Does anyone know of clubs in this area that arent
A) snobby that i'm not riding a bike worth xxxx
B) Or dont like it when i hitch onto a group so then for the next 5 miles keep dropping me for a laugh.
i've been warned that you'll always get idiots in a club and you have to learn to smile and live with it but are there any clubs you guys would say are worth a go.
Cheers for the advise guys
Tom
I live in Portsmouth and just about to buy my first road/race bike; havent got a large budget (probably nudging £700, but i should then be able to upgrade progressivly)
i've been using my hack bike and been clocking up to 30 - 35 miles in a ride, and thought it was about time to join a club and push my riding.
I'm 21 so I do realise that i've started a bit late to go competitive racing
but my cousin (same sort of age) races and has the advantage of racing a cycling for a good number of years Does anyone know of clubs in this area that arent
A) snobby that i'm not riding a bike worth xxxx
B) Or dont like it when i hitch onto a group so then for the next 5 miles keep dropping me for a laugh.
i've been warned that you'll always get idiots in a club and you have to learn to smile and live with it but are there any clubs you guys would say are worth a go.
Cheers for the advise guys
Tom
coopers said:
...
I'm 21 so I do realise that i've started a bit late to go competitive racing but my cousin (same sort of age) races and has the advantage of racing a cycling for a good number of years
...
I'm 21 so I do realise that i've started a bit late to go competitive racing
but my cousin (same sort of age) races and has the advantage of racing a cycling for a good number of years ...
Age is no barrier, once you've got a bit of training behind you, you'll find that there are advantages to being a bit older
Can't help with the cycling club question though
Hiya. Clubs in all sports suffer from elements of snobbery (even in the north east!) so you're going to get varying degrees of it anywhere. As for idiots: again, you get idiots everywhere and remember, cycling tends to attract it's fair share of introverts and loners who can be difficult to communicate with, so how you deal with these is up to you.
Joining a club is always a good idea when you feel you need to 'progress'; chances are, you'll find a couple or so of the lads who you gel with and your rides will become more varied and in good company. One thing about getting dropped though ---- even if they are trying to do it (and they will, if they're young and daft too) just try to hang on. Learn to follow wheels and how to ride on a wheel, even when it feels like it's going to kill you. We've all got two arms and two legs and if they're trying to drop you, they'll be hurting too, if only a little bit, but still hurting. If you do hang on --- fine. If not --- it'll only make you stronger. The worst thing you can do is just sit up and ride home alone. That'll do you no good at all.
As you get steadily fitter, faster and stronger, the chances of guys trying to drop you in the middle of nowhere will no doubt decrease.
Good luck and watch how the more experienced riders do things.
Joining a club is always a good idea when you feel you need to 'progress'; chances are, you'll find a couple or so of the lads who you gel with and your rides will become more varied and in good company. One thing about getting dropped though ---- even if they are trying to do it (and they will, if they're young and daft too) just try to hang on. Learn to follow wheels and how to ride on a wheel, even when it feels like it's going to kill you. We've all got two arms and two legs and if they're trying to drop you, they'll be hurting too, if only a little bit, but still hurting. If you do hang on --- fine. If not --- it'll only make you stronger. The worst thing you can do is just sit up and ride home alone. That'll do you no good at all.
As you get steadily fitter, faster and stronger, the chances of guys trying to drop you in the middle of nowhere will no doubt decrease.
Good luck and watch how the more experienced riders do things.
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