Clubs in Oxford - As Uninspiring As They Look?

sylvanus

I'll be moving to Oxford in the next year and I'm looking to join a thriving Oxford Club and continue the pleasure, sport and camaraderie I get from my current London club.

However, and to be plain about this, the selection looks uninspiring with websites and kit that seem to have been designed by the aesthetically challenged and very little real activity from members. For instance I can't see a single Oxford rider listed in the Dragon Ride and only one for the British Sportive. In Road Racing its almost as bad with Oxford-based riders barely bothering the scorers in national or regional rankings. Much smaller towns / regions across the country seem to have much more thriving clubs.

http://www.oxfordcityrc.fsnet.co.uk/
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/oxoniancc/
http://www.midoxon.com/

Why is this? Is the situation really as bad as it seems?! I'd assumed given its one of England's great cycling cities that it would have thriving clubs.

Anyone here any knowledge of the Oxford bike scene?

BeaconRuth

Obviously everyone looks for different things in a cycling club, but to be fair on the three Oxford clubs you've listed, I've heard of them all and known of them as strong time-trialling clubs for some years. They all have informative websites with long lists of participants in local time trials and 2 out of 3 clubs have a full list of planned clubruns. Another big credit to the three clubs is that they look as though they work together well too, with riders from any of the 3 clubs welcomed at other clubs' events.

The concept of sportive events such as the Dragon Ride and the British Sportive are very new. Bear in mind that many cycling clubs have existed for decades before anyone in the UK ever thought of the term 'sportive' - so the vast majority of many established-cycling-club activities are centred on more traditional aspects of the sport. As for the lack of results in the British Cycling results - well road-racing is only one branch of cycle sport and not having placed riders at national or regional level is not a sign of an unhealthy club. It will only be a drawback if you intend to race at Elite, 1st or 2nd cat level.

Ruth

sylvanus

road-racing is only one branch of cycle sport and not having placed riders at national or regional level is not a sign of an unhealthy club. It will only be a drawback if you intend to race at Elite, 1st or 2nd cat level.

Thanks for such an informative and encouraging reply but surely Road Racing and Sportives are pretty central to most mainline clubs? Surely there aren't three TT clubs in one city?

Equally if I'd posted the same thread about S London or Midlands clubs I'd expect to be buried in replies. Is there anyone from Oxford out there or are they all still drinking warming Bovril on the local dual-carriageway after the Sat 5am start for the Gilbert Snodgrass memorial club 20?!

a_n_t

sylvanus wrote:

Is there anyone from Oxford out there or are they all still drinking warming Bovril on the local dual-carriageway after the Sat 5am start for the Gilbert Snodgrass memorial club 20?!

how to win friends............................................................... :shock:

BeaconRuth

sylvanus wrote:

Thanks for such an informative and encouraging reply but surely Road Racing and Sportives are pretty central to most mainline clubs?

Not necessarily. All clubs are different. As a percentage of all cyclists, a very very small number take part in road races, and not many in sportives either, despite the impression you get when reading this forum.

Surely there aren't three TT clubs in one city?

I don't know whether the three clubs you picked would categorise themselves as TT clubs - that was really just my personal contact with them, being a time triallist.

Equally if I'd posted the same thread about S London or Midlands clubs I'd expect to be buried in replies. Is there anyone from Oxford out there or are they all still drinking warming Bovril on the local dual-carriageway after the Sat 5am start for the Gilbert Snodgrass memorial club 20?!

Well, your thread has existed for less than 24hrs. Perhaps you should give folks in Oxford a little longer to respond? Besides, this beginners forum isn't really the place where experienced road cyclists are likely to hang out. Perhaps you could try on Veloriders - they seem to have the same derogatory view of time trialling as you.

Ruth

sylvanus

they seem to have the same derogatory view of time trialling as you.

Time trialling is fine and all part of a healthy cycling life but surely like many solitary and secret male activities, it should only be taken in moderation. All that black wool, clandestine meetings and repression of different competing activities.....Doesn't it all strike you as a bit Mosleyesque? The Oxonian CC picture of grown men racing trikes just went to confirm the impression of clubs that are lost in some horrifyingly flat caps and slag heaps past. Are they federated to the local ferret fancying association?

Whatever one's opinion, is it something in the water at Oxford that prevents decent Road Racing or Sportive performance? How much tongue in cheek insult will we have to throw at them before they come out of the pigeon shed and let us know what modern Oxford cycling is all about?

brit66

I'm also looking to join a club in Oxford in the New Year and have to agree that all three of the websites mentioned are pretty uninspiring.

However, that said, a website alone is not necessarily a true reflection of the club or it's members - all might be very good in their own way.

pieinthesky

Sylvanus

You have spent a few minutes researching on the internet and concluded that the cyclists of Oxford are not up to much.

Rubbishing people just because they dont do what you do is a little narrow minded, particularly when it is your fellow cyclists.

You have a choice of three clubs and if you cant find someone to ride with from that lot, it says more about you than them.

Join one of the clubs. I am sure some of the members will do the odd sportive. If they dont then you can use your obvious charm and your enthusiasm to encourage them to try one.

Eddy S

Depending what you want from the local clubs, you might also want to look around/outside Oxford – these are all active clubs with good reputations.

Bicester Millennium

Didcot Phoenix

and slightly further afield

High Wycombe CC

Thames Velo

sylvanus

you might also want to look around/outside Oxford – these are all active clubs with good reputations.

Thanks - Thats a good suggestion since you're right they are obviously more active and I've seen many of their members at races / sportives etc. I'll look at them more closely.

Before I do that and write off the Oxford clubs - if you're local, is my impression of them unfair / wrong? Anyone else able to comment?

tatanab

Why not try them all?

You do not need to join a club immediately for reasons of licence or CTT affiliation because youare already a member of a club. So why not go out with each club a few times. You want to "continue the pleasure, sport and camaraderie " but you will not be able to judge that by a flashy website or how many riders you see at a particular event, you need to find out first hand by being with them.

Every club I've ever come across welcomes non-members for a short time before it is suggested they join up.

By the way, that Oxonian trike is very modern state of the art (not ark). It runs smaller wheels, with a lower bottom bracket and is wider than usual. All specifically intended for criterium racing.

Spare Tyre

Sylvanus, you suggest that riding sportives and road racing at national or regional level are indicators of whether a club is "active" or "thriving". However, clubs can thrive in other ways: for example, they might have a well-attended weekly clubrun, put on good social events and promote their own road races, time trials etc. To some people, these activities might be more important than travelling hundreds of miles to ride a sportive event.

By the way, I think you are overdoing it with the sneering and the cliches. "Mosleyesque"...what were you thinking?!

sylvanus

for example, they might have a well-attended weekly clubrun, put on good social events and promote their own road races, time trials etc

True but then I don't see a huge amount of evidence of any of these things since none of them holds Road Races other than hitching on to OUCC activities and even local sportives, like the Tour of the Cotswolds, seem to only bring a few of them into action. Surely there is simply not the activity to support three clubs in Oxford? In fact to stage a time-trial they seem to do it jointly so wouldn't it make sense to merge them and inject some new enthusiasm and energy?

Sorry about the jokes you didn't find funny but surely the Oxford Road Cycling scene won't wilt under a tiny bit of criticism?

sylvanus

Sorry to bump this thread but it now looks definite that I'll be moving to Oxford. Can anyone provide me with hope?! The most recent website updates seen to have been in the Autumn!! Please someone tell me there is a thriving Oxford club cycling scene that I've missed!

Does anyone also know what the qualifications are for joining OUCC? If I used to be a member of the University, does that mean I still am and can join or am I condemned to a future of tweed tricycle time-trialling?

spen666

sylvanus wrote:

Sorry to bump this thread but it now looks definite that I'll be moving to Oxford. Can anyone provide me with hope?! The most recent website updates seen to have been in the Autumn!! Please someone tell me there is a thriving Oxford club cycling scene that I've missed!

Does anyone also know what the qualifications are for joining OUCC? If I used to be a member of the University, does that mean I still am and can join or am I condemned to a future of tweed tricycle time-trialling?

It certainly won't help to give the cyclists of Oxford hope that someone so negative about them as you is moving to the City