Our Club Rides
As with most cycling clubs, our organised club rides are an integral part of the club’s activities. We aim to cater for a wide variety of abilities and run rides at numerous points through the week, throughout the year.
What is a Club Ride?
There are a few simple guidelines that define a Club Ride, as follows:
- Start time and location must be posted on the club’s social media outlet(s) and / or website prior to the ride, ideally at least 24 hours before. (The route may also be posted if applicable but some regular rides are ad-hoc depending on participants, time, weather, choice of cafe and other variables)
- It must be organised and / or led by a current WFCRC club member
- Club rides are an activity organised and run for WFCRC members and as such are open to current members only. There are two exceptions to this:
- Prospective members may join any of the club rides on up to two occasions (in total) to help them decide if membership is for them
- WFCRC members may bring a guest on a club ride up to twice a year. The member agrees to take full responsibility for their guest and to ensure they know that they are responsible for their own insurance etc
It is important that riders carry certain items with them on all club rides – tools and spare tubes to repair a puncture are essential, a quick link to fix a broken chain, a multi-tool and tyre levers etc. In the event of a mechanical issue, fellow club riders will be more than willing to help but you do need to ensure you have brought any spare parts with you. It is also recommended that you are familiar with the route (and ideally have it on your bike computer if pre-published) and obviously dress appropriately for whatever the weather might do on the day.
WFCRC is affiliated with British Cycling and as a result all organised club rides are automatically covered through their Public Liability Insurance scheme, with an indemnity limit of £20m. Full details of the liability insurance policy cover can be found HERE.
Sunday
There are now three Sunday rides run for WFCRC members, all of which normally depart from Stourport Sports Club at 09:00. Occasionally the start point and time will be different but details of the rides are always posted on the club’s Facebook page (HERE) a few days ahead.
All rides generally run throughout the year unless the weather is really bad – if it is very wet or frozen then we may have a Sunday off (or maybe take to the turbo trainer) but we try not to let the weather stop us.
The Sunday Social Ride
The Sunday Social Ride is exactly that, a steady saunter usually through lovely countryside with the emphasis on enjoyment, healthy exercise and social interaction. It is ideal for those fairly new to cycling, for developing group riding skills and also for meeting new cycling friends.
Usually under 50 miles, there is no excessive climbing (though there are always some modest gradients around here) and the ride averages around 11-13mph. No-one gets left behind and the ride leader will always ensure that the group stays together throughout. There will be a cafe stop around halfway and the ride is led by a roster of experienced WFCRC members.
The Sunday Pedallers
This is a group for more experienced riders and the ride is typically 50 miles or more, often with some good climbs along the way, at around 15-17mph average speed. Again there is always a cafe stop near halfway and although the group includes riders at different levels of ability (and is designed to morph organically into groups on the road) it mostly sticks together so no-one gets left behind for long. This ride is ideal for developing your group riding skills further, at a higher average pace and with quicker riders.
Gruppo Rapido
This is for the ‘Big Dogs’, i.e. those members who are looking for a hard, fast-paced training ride with no cafe stop and in which it is every rider for themselves – if you get dropped you stay dropped. This means that participants must have the route with them and also be self-sufficient in terms of dealing with mechanicals, as the ride will not stop for them. Typically this is designed for people who are training to race or do triathlons, it is normally around 50 miles over varying terrain with an average speed of at least 18mph and often quite a bit more.
The Midweek Pedallers
The Midweek Pedallers is a fairly ad-hoc group ride for those who are able to ride in the week.
It usually takes place on a Tuesday and Thursday throughout the year, departing from SSC at 1000, but the day, start time and place can vary according to various factors. There is no pre-published route either, this group preferring to busk it for the variety (or mystery) that offers. The rides are usually about 50 miles, pace varies depending on who’s there but it’s very sociable and always includes a good cafe stop somewhere.
Rides are organised the day before via a WhatsApp group. Any WFCRC member wishing to join the group should contact the club with their mobile number and they’ll be welcomed immediately.
Thursday
High quality coaching is run by our British Cycling trained coaches throughout the year for youth and junior riders on Thursday evenings at the Stourport Circuit. This runs from 6pm onwards depending on age group. Further details are on the coaching section of the website.
During the summer months we run Thursday evening club rides when there is enough light to get round the various routes safely, so roughly mid-April to early September depending on the weather.
The Thursday evening ride normally departs from the club at 7pm and the course is published on the club’s Facebook page (HERE) a day or two beforehand.
The routes are usually between 16 and 25 miles depending on the amount of light available each week. WFCRC members of all abilities are most welcome to come and enjoy summer evenings on their bikes at whatever pace they like.
Saturday
Not technically a club ride but Saturday mornings (0900-1100) are one of the periods when the track is free to use for WFCRC members. Whilst whizzing round a track might seem repetitive and possibly pointless, it is in fact an extremely good workout – it’s been compared to a good turbo session but a lot more fun because it’s outside, one is constantly moving and the company is very good.
It’s also a great opportunity to improve technique and stamina away from the perils of the road and on a smooth surface. WFCRC is very lucky to have access to such an excellent facility and those who use it regularly will attest to its usefulness. Give it a go!
Other Club Rides
In addition to the all of these, various other rides through the year are organised and led by WFCRC members. These include numerous 100-mile+ rides and various days out where we’ll drive to a start point and enjoy a day away from home – in recent years we have for example been to Wales and the Isle Of Wight. Details of these are also posted on Facebook ahead of time.