FAQ

I am worried I won’t be able to keep up?
The club has different rides for different abilities / styles of rider, so there should be a ride to suit your level. If in doubt, try one of the easier levels of ride, then try something harder next time. The longer Sunday rides routes are published during the week before, so you will be able to see if you can do the distance/climbing before you arrive.

We have a club ethos that no one gets left behind, so you need not be concerned about falling off the group.

Is it a group for middle-aged-men in Lycra?!
Our membership starts at 18 years old and we have some fit and keen younger riders. For a cycling club we already have healthy ratio of men and women, and look to actively promote the club to women cyclists. Some of our retired members are truly inspiring in their fitness levels. We do not currently accept junior, under18 members as we do not have the qualified, trained group leaders and welfare officers required. However, juniors are welcome to join rides if accompanied by a parent/guardian member who is willing to take responsibility for them, and they are capable of completing the rides.

Do I need an expensive bike?
We ask that our members turn up on a bike that’s well maintained and safe to ride. Beyond that, anything goes for the social level rides. For the longer Sunday runs, a road bike (formerly known as a ‘racer’) is the weapon of choice since otherwise it would be hard to stay with the group on a hybrid or touring bike, unless you are very fit. Though some are now using “gravel” bikes, a good idea given the state of some of our roads!

I have done some sportives and want to train to get faster / longer distance
You are in the right place – many of our members ride sportives in Summer and the regular’ year-long 50-60 mile Sunday rides are a great way to maintain a strong base fitness. We plan to run some longer sportive distance routes within the club, in summer.

I do triathlon, will the club rides be too slow for effective tri training.
The A-group rides are at a very strong pace and riding 60 miles at a constantly fast pace can be a superb endurance workout and a chance to test your climbing against some strong riders.

Are you just a road club, or do you mountain bike also?
We started as a road club, purely because the founding members of the club are all primarily road-riders. Now we are getting established we are building the off-road opportunities within the club – both off-road winter training and making the best of the superb mountain biking in and around Denbighshire. We will organise different activities where they are supported by our members. Or you can use the club to contact others with similar interests to arrange your own rides.

Why is there an minimum age of 18 – I like to ride with my young children who are really good on their bikes.
So do we! We are affiliated to Welsh Cycling and like to follow their guidelines re safely leading groups, both adult and youth. For the welfare of children the club would need to have trained and accredited Welfare Officers and Ride Leaders. Until we have members within the club with the necessary qualifications who are willing to safely take children on led rides, we cannot accept under 18’s as members.

We do however allow younger people on our rides if accompanied by a parent/guardian member who is willing to take responsibility for them, and they are capable of completing the rides.

Why do I need to join a cycling club to ride my bike?
There hasn’t been a cycling club in Ruthin for a good while. Before the club was formed, all of us rode solo or in small groups of friends. The sense of excitement around the club now is palpable. Riding in groups of like minded people offers new routes, chat, coffee breaks, the chance to wear club kit, Welsh Cycling affiliation, CTC affiliation, but mainly, the chance to be part of something bigger.

You will also find that going on club rides pushes you to go further (and higher!) than you might have done otherwise. And you will find all sorts of new routes in the area, without getting lost!

Do you Race?
We organise Time-Trial events locally under the umbrella of the national Cycling Time Trials organisation.  And we have had an annual hill-climb event most years. We do not however organise other sorts of road or other racing at present, and we do not have any off-road tracks in Ruthin suitable for racing. A few of our more talented riders do or have raced, and in fact, one of our group, Doug Dailey MBE, is a British National Road Race Championships winner!

Do you organise social events?

We hold our AGM in January each year and arrange a Christmas Dinner late in the year.  We also have a Christmas ride finishing off in a pub! Again, we will try to organise relevant activities where there is support from our members.