REASONS TO JOIN US
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We've all been in your shoes!
It can be a bit of a daunting experience joining a new club. But riding with a club can add a new set of strings to your bow. By watching and learning from more experienced riders, you can transform your abilities, gain insights and knowledge and most importantly, have fun!
So many questions can be running through your head. Wondering what opportunities are on offer and where to start?! Club runs, time trials, track, Sportives, Audax, turbo, cyclocross, gravel or off road rides...
But have no fear, join us and you can get to know us before your riding adventures with us begin! First stop is Mike, our membership secretary. Contact
If you want to ride with us, we hold introductory rides each month. This enables you to understand more about group riding and how we ride. This is where you'll hopefully find that all the worries you originally had are unfounded! We'll help you make sure you are more than able to keep up with the group you’ve chosen.
Everyone has to start somewhere and trust us, we know this because we all did!
Making you a better rider
You’ll soon learn that we offer many ways to ride your bike! And for each we know there are some who are beginners, whilst there are others who've already got some experience. We cater for all to ensure we ride safely and always have fun! So for example, when it comes to our club runs on the roads of Hertfordshire (and beyond!) riding in a group on the road is all about keeping it smooth and consistent.
Smooth on the front, not attacking the hills - no sudden changes of direction. The peloton look after each other throughout. There’ll be plenty of people for you to chat to while you’re in the group - so you’ll often barely feel like you’re working hard at all.
Make sure you spend your fair share of time on the front - this is where you’ll be doing the work and letting the others rest their legs. And we always stop for a mid-ride coffee and cake - so whilst it’s wise to carry something in your pocket, re-fuelling is part and parcel of our rides.
Learning to signal for the holes and anticipate the surfaces you’re riding on will come in super helpful as you progress and continue to ride out on the roads. You’ll get the hang of spotting potholes and avoiding them. Mixed with your new smooth cadence and consistent style – you’ll be moving up into the next group in no time, as riding with us is all about supporting people to improve as a rider and achieve their goals.
Socialising
Whether you’ve moved town, house or are just after a new bunch of people to spend some time with - cycling on the roads of Hertfordshire can be a great way to get to know a variety of people and places! You could stumble across a whole host of people you wouldn’t expect and you’ll be able to catch up the whole way round.
Granted when you’re out of breath at the top of the climb or have the wind whistling past your ears then conversation might not be the easiest. But there will be plenty of time when you’re rolling along the flats when you’ll be able to hold a conversation. And the order will constantly be changing so you’ll get a chance to chat to everyone!
Along with this the mid-ride café stop is a great opportunity to catch up with other members and have a good laugh. You don’t have to ride alone any more, or fix that puncture you keep getting without some help!
Safety in numbers
Out on the open road with the air in your face provides the ultimate sense of freedom, but it can be a lonely place too! Riding, whether alone or in a group, can be very rewarding but the peloton look after each other, no one gets left behind!
The groups ride together, at set average speeds, so riders know what to expect and can choose a group that is right for them. And if there is a puncture or mechanical issue, there is plenty of help on hand to provide a solution.
And we all know our roads are busy places, with other road users who can be impatient and occasionally unkind. A peloton has a presence that is missing when you ride alone, there is safety in numbers.
Finding new routes
It can be quite daunting finding new routes to try out. Especially if you’ve just moved to the area. While Strava global heatmaps are a fantastic way to find new spots, nothing will beat the knowledge of a local who’s been out on the local roads for years. They’ll be able to tell you roads to avoid, where the dodgy surfaces are and where the traffic usually ends up.
There are routes we know well and routes we ‘make up’, the key being the Runs Leader knows the way (or at least has a Garmin and knows how to use it)! And what’s even better – they’ll be able to show you the best coffee shops!
Improving your fitness
They say if you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together. While you’ll be able to improve your fitness out riding your bike by yourself, nothing will test and motivate you quite as much as riding in a group. There’ll be plenty of people with different strengths and weaknesses. Those who like to sit on the front and take on the headwind and the little mountain goats who dance up the hills. And with the support of fellow riders there are multiple ways to train and gain new cycling skills, so you’ll soon be improving your fitness too.
Your speed on a bike can be greatly improved from the combination of added fitness, a smooth cadence and knowing exactly when to apply the power. All of these things will come on greatly riding with us.
Saving you money
Membership options are available (see below) with most adults joining as 'First Claim' which is just £30 per year (plus a Club Jersey in your first year). Granted a bike isn’t the cheapest of things, but if you already have your bike then riding with us can be a great saving on your regular fitness classes or gym membership!
We have a great range of benefits like high quality kit at an affordable price, discounts with the local bike shops, and on entrance fees for local Sportives and bike insurance, so you can easily get more than your £30 subscription fee back with a little careful expenditure.
Open to all
The hurdle of joining a new club is perhaps greater when the sense is that it will be full of fitter and better riders, people who are "not like me". This can manifest itself in numerous ways, but with almost 20% of our membership comprising women, and a membership reflecting our catchment area of St Albans and the surrounding villages, we're a mixed and welcoming bunch, just ask
And for any women seeking the opportunity to get the inside track or just in need of a conversation to get a little bit of extra reassurance, please contact Karine, our
There is no better time than now!
It’s a no brainer really, join us, get out and ride and hopefully you’ll never look back!
Adults - to receive an invitation to join us, please complete this short questionnaire. Mike, our Membership Secretary, will then contact you and explain your options. Subsequently, if you wish to join our club rides, Mike will send details and an invite to our next Introductory ride. We hold these rides on Saturday mornings most months, depending on demand, the availability of leaders and the weather! Once invited, if you cannot attend please let us know and we'll keep you on the ‘invites list’. For the safety of all involved, all members are required to have third-party insurance and to have completed our Introductory ride before joining our club runs.
Youths - our regular Saturday coaching sessions run throughout the year, during the winter at the Cottonmill Community and Cycling Centre, Old Oak, Cottonmill Lane, St Albans, Herts, AL1 2EF and in the Summer at The Velodrome, Gosling Sports Park, Stanborough Road, Welwyn Garden City, AL8 6XE. These sessions are for members only but new members are very welcome, with our Youth Membership being just £6 per annum. If you're interested, please read on here.
Families - our family membership package includes one adult (first claim) member, one Associate member and any number of Youth member subscriptions.
Membership options (per annum)
| First claim | £30 | Plus Short Sleeve Club Jersey (£80) in first year |
| Second claim | £24 | If first claim member of another club |
| Youth | £6 | Parental consent required |
| Youth (road) | £12 | By invitation only, parental consent required |
| Racing team | £50 | By invitation only |
| Racing team (u18) | £20 | By invitation only, parental consent required |
| Associate | £6 | Non-riding category |
|
Family Membership |
£30 | One Standard Member + One Associate Member + Any number of Youths |
*In cases of individual economic hardship the subscription fee may be reduced or waived at the discretion of the Club committee. Contact
**Any adult or youth who is also a Racing Team member will be subject to the team membership fee in addition to the VCC subscription (first claim or youth road applies) i.e. £15 and £8 respectively. Youth Road Members will also be subject to an additional fee of £6
[Adapted, with thanks to Jack Schofield, https://www.cyclestore.co.uk/]
