All of us were new to cycling once, and we were all helped by others. Here are the thoughts of some of the current club members on riding with the club.

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• Your first ride

• Preparation

• Riding guidelines

• Become a member

 

Your first club ride

 

The idea of your first club ride might seem a bit intimidating: experienced riders in matching kit, expensive looking bikes with all sorts of gadgets, all knowing exactly what to do as they set off...

 

Don’t worry about any of this - we all learn what to do over time, and the kit and gadgets don't make you a better rider anyway.  For people new to group riding VCJ runs 'Consolidarsi' rides, so come along at 9am on any Saturday (no need to join the club until you know it's for you), say "Hi" and ask to join the Consolidarsi group ride.

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The Consolidarsi ride is particularly suitable for anyone new to group riding, or not yet confident of their ability or fitness level. It is always led by an experienced club rider who will show you how to ride safely and confidently in a group.  These rides are about 35-40 miles (about 60 km) at an average pace of 13-15 mph (20-24 kph) depending on terrain and riders on the day.  We look after each other, no-one gets left behind and we always have fun!

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If you are already an experienced group road rider, see the 'Which group?' section below, or just ask any of us which group would best match your speed and ability. 

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Here are some things that you can do to prepare for the ride, and below we have some group riding guidelines you can read to help you get a feel for the essential skills.

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Preparation

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Eat a decent breakfast at least an hour before arriving for the club ride. Porridge, cereal, toast, fruit, rice, eggs are all excellent. Avoid overly fatty or greasy foods and don’t eat too much meat (it takes too long to leave your stomach).

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What to bring

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Food

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For a standard club ride of 45-60 miles a typical example of what you'd need is:

• 1 banana

• 1 piece of flapjack

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Bring whatever you like to eat and bring a little more than you think you will want – we advise against things that don’t digest easily e.g. greasy foods or meat.

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Drink

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In summer, 1 litre of fluid, in winter 0.5 litres as a minimum. Plain water is fine, but many riders choose to add squash or an electrolyte tablet (which can be sensible if you sweat a lot).

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Repair kit

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• Two tyre levers

• Two inner tubes – check they are the correct size and valve type

• Something to pump your tyres with. Try using it before you need it.

• Tyre patches, in case you are unfortunate enough to use both your spare inner tubes.

• 4mm and 5mm allen keys (most modern bikes use these for many parts) or a bike specific multi tool.

• A cable tie (if you break a spoke you can tie it to the others and carry on riding)

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Optional extras:

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• A Tyre boot (a 2cm x 3cm piece of old tyre, toothpaste tube or credit card can cover a rip in a tyre)

• A chain tool (to fix a broken chain or work around a broken rear derailleur)

• A foot long piece of gaffer tape wrapped round a tube on your bike (this has many uses)

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Clothing

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Always look at the weather forecast and dress for the weather.  Don't forget you will warm up as you ride.  If there is any chance of rain and it is cool, bring a rain top.  Thin layers and zips mean you can adjust as the temperature changes.

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A good pair of padded shorts is highly recommended.

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Money

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Always have some cash for food or emergencies.  Also for coffee in the café at the end.

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Phone

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Should the worst happen and you end up stuck on your own, this is your backup plan to call for help.

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Mechanical knowledge

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Know how to:

• Repair a puncture

• Adjust your brakes

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Riding guidelines

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Riding in a well organised group is fun, sociable and can be challenging physically.  Riding close to other people at speed requires care and adherence to a few basic guidelines to keep you and others safe.

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Which group should I ride with?

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Check out our Ride With Us​ page​ to find out more about the different groups.​

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Riding in pairs

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In club groups, we ride ‘2-up,’ with two lines of people side by side, roughly two feet apart. On wider roads this formation makes the group compact and easier for cars to overtake.  A group should be no bigger than 12 riders overall but we think 6-8 is an ideal size.

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If there is only one rider in front of you, one of your pair should move forward to fill the gap, and so on through the bunch. Your pair should be close to the pair in front: 1-3 feet is ideal on a flat or gently inclined road.  Avoid leaving big gaps between your pair and the one in front, to save energy, and road space.  Leave more space if you are less confident or you think you may need to brake.

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When going downhill at speed leave a lot more space to brake and manoeuvre, tens of feet.

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Going single file

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In order to let cars pass on narrower roads, or to ride along main roads the call ‘single file’ will be made from the ride leader.  The rider on the right (closer to the centre of the road) should move smoothly behind the rider on the left.  The riders toward the rear of the group on the left hand side will need to slow to allow the extra space required.

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Rotating riders on the front of the group

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Everyone should get the opportunity to share the work on the front of the group.  At the front it can be windy and much harder work than in the bunch.

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When you get to the front, maintain the same speed as the people before you i.e. don’t surge away – the guys or girls on the front before you may be tired after their turn and need a chance to catch their breath.  Attempt to keep a constant effort as the road goes up or down (that is constant effort not speed).  Your turn on the front should be about 5-10 minutes, but less if you are tired.

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Once your time on the front is up, indicate your desire to rotate as a pair.  This can be done by pointing up in the air and circling your hand.  The outside rider moves in front of the inside rider, allowing the outer line to move ahead.  The front rider of the outside line moves inside to form a new leading pair.

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Signals

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• Point to substantial hazards on the road surface with one finger. Call out if significant or numerous hazards (e.g. lots of potholes)

• All fingers outstretched, pointing towards hazard in road – gravel or loose surface

• Arm bent behind back, elbow making an arrow pointing to large hazard on one side of the road to be avoided (e.g. parked car, runner in road)

• Hand straight up (if safe to do so) – puncture or mechanical - also, call out ‘puncture’

• Palm of hand held steady facing rider behind – stopping

• Palm level to ground, hand raised and lowered – slowing

• Hand in air making circling motion – intending to rotate off the front of the group

• Arm outstretched to left or right – indicating a turn left or right

• If a car is coming towards the bunch from in front on a narrow road, call ‘car up’

• If a car is coming towards the bunch from behind on a narrow road, call ‘car back’

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Half wheeling

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This is when one person in a pair wants to ride at a greater effort than the other resulting in their wheel being half a wheel length ahead. AVOID this.  It is equivalent to saying ‘hurry up!’.  If you want to go faster, speak to the group and agree on it.

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If you are struggling 

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• Make people around you aware you are finding the pace hard

• Ask to stop for more water or food, if needed​

• Ride closer to the back of the group and get more draft, and avoid taking a turn on the front. It is better to finish than blow up taking a turn on the front

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If a rider is struggling in the group

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If someone is struggling you can do a number of things:

• Slow the pace to allow them to recover

• Check they have eaten and had a drink

• Check they don't have a mechanical issue with their bike

• Advise them to ride towards the rear of the group where there is more draft (not at the very back as they might disappear without the group realising)

• If someone drops off the back, a stronger rider might go back to collect them, allowing them to draft the stronger rider back to the group

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Eating and drinking enough

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There is lots of information on this available in books and online. As a guide, eat and drink little and often (every half hour is ideal).  Something as simple as a banana is ideal for a ride.

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Courtesy and stopping on red

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• If you are on the road you should obey the traffic laws. This will keep you safe and other road traffic will know what to expect from your movement on the road.

• Stop on red lights. No exceptions.

• No obscene language, gestures or road rage.  There is no place for this.  No exceptions.

• As you approach horses go slow and keep talking / making noise, give a wide berth.  If you have a noisy 'freewheel,' keep pedalling.  This is particularly important when approaching from behind and they can't see you coming up.

• Be friendly and say hi to other cyclists and road users!

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Making sure your bike is in good mechanical order

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• Brakes must work well

• Tyres should be in reasonable condition and pumped up (as a rough guide 25mm tyres should be pumped to at least 70 psi)

• Gears should change acceptably and not throw your chain off

• Your bike should be in good working order and not likely to break down. Take it for regular checks with a good local bike shop or mobile mechanic.​

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Moving up groups 

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If you have moved up groups to a faster group, you may get dropped a few times but this can part of the process.  You might have to push to your limits a few times to get fit enough to be able to last the whole distance, particularly in the medium-fast and fast groups.  It can be disheartening, but do not fear because we have all been there !

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If you do get dropped, if is important you can be self-sufficient and find your way home using your GPS device or phone.  You must be able to fix a puncture (or two) and have the kit outlined in the New Riders Guide. If it all goes horribly wrong a mobile phone should be your last line of defence.

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Become a member

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If you like riding with us then join up here.

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