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Club newbie

Everytime I think of an article in the cycling press I want to refer to I can never find the magazine. A few weeks back I read an article in either Cycling Weekly or Cycling Plus about the potentially off-putting aspect of club cycling for a newbie on his first fews rides with a new club. You know, having to deal with the club know-it-all and being thoroughly worked over by the chain gang. I don't think it was particulary serious, but it did provoke a response in the letters column a week later.

So why did this article interest me? Well, this week I am going along to join my local club. I have ridden with a few clubs as a casual rider wherever I have been living at the time, but I have never been an active member. I have always been into cycling and until a few years back always had the fortune to meet and know people who shared the interest so organising rides was never much of a problem. I think I got a bit distracted about getting the miles in (or not) rather than enjoying the whole experience. Now I want to participate a bit more and get the opportunity to try organised events and racing, something I have never done before.

I have ridden with the local club before and they're a decent bunch who only had helpful advice for me. However, I would be lying if I said I wasn't a bit nervous about joining up even though I am really looking forward to it.

Has anyone got any advice for a club newbie, do's and don'ts?

Comments:

there are of course three essential
secrets to remember on your first roady club ride [which more often than not in England, aye, 'll take you back 50years t'halcyon days]:

do not knock anyone off!...sit at the back, ensure your facial expressions mirror Dantes'inferno and do not attempt to outsprint the oldest wrinkly in the pack...he'll curse and probably beat you anyway...

take 'pocket coffees' to dish out after 2 hours plus...aye by'eck these are reet grand yungun...

and finaly, never ever mention off-road...!
By  Anonymous
 

Those three reasons, while great, are precisely the same reasons while I'll never be able to run with the pack. But I admire them just the same.
By  Jill
 

At least do a few turns on the front or you'll be eternally branded a wheel sucker.

Don't turn up on your shiny new £5,000 bike for the first ride, use the winter mule until you prove you can kick some ass on any old bike.
By  phill
 

Wise words from you all, thanks.

So, I've wasted my money on the Colnago CF4 Ferrari ;-). Think how many Pocket Coffees I could have bought for that!

Now I'm concerned my hairy legs may give away my off-road roots.
By  iain
 

I think the most important thing is just to show up with the right attitude. It's the local paceline, not the local criterium, so ride cooperationally rather than competitively. My local Tuesday-night ride club gets most annoyed when some kid shows up and tries to pull a breakaway on his first ride.
Also, there's the standard interpersonal advice: do more listening than talking. If it's a struggle to keep up with the group, just fade and then come back and try again next week.
That is, unless it really is the local criterium, in which case you need to show up toting a gigantic ego, trash-talking and trying to rip everybody's legs off. Completely different situation.
By  Caloi-Rider
 

Best advice I can give myself, is just HAVE FUN! If you are a casual rider, you aren't going to compete with the club iron men(and women)anyway! Build your skills and seek advice whenever needed, as most cyclists, even the club know it all are really interested in promoting cycling. Remember though, the "Cliff Clavern" of the bike club really can't help himself, and often in the continuous flow are some real gems of cycling knowlege re: technique or some other such. You'll learn quickly how to filter it. At the risk of my repeating myself though, the first rule is HAVE FUN, safely!
By  Tom Stormcrowe
 

hehe
Yep there's bound to be a Cliff Claven, just don't fall for the one that real cyclists only ride singlespeed!
By  phill
 

Thanks all.
Caloi - yep, just the local run for a bit, hopefully I will need your advice for the critieriums soon though.
Tom - Nice one, I'll think of that when I get boxed in with the club 'Cliff'.
Phill - I only ride a singlespeed at the moment, Medium-Slow ;-).
By  iain
 

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