Cycling Club in Richmond

jwe

Hi,

I have been searching high and low for a cycling club in Richmond and the only one near enough is Kingston Wheelers. Are anyone here part of Kingston Wheelers? if so what can I expect?

Thanks,

onehipwonder

Hi JWE,

I ride with the Kingston Wheelers and have found them to be a very friendly welcoming club. I joined in 2006 and was really encouraged on my first club run (which I did on a hybrid) when I was really struggling.
What sort of riding do you do?
The club has some very good road racers if that is your thing and also organise a series of club 10 TTs.
The social aspect is also very good. Check out the website and turn up for a Sunday morning club run, you will be more than welcome

http://www.kingstonwheelers.co.uk/news.shtml

roger_merriman

I'd second that, the wheelers seem to be a friendly bunch i've gone on a old mtb with road tires on their club runs.

they also do lots of laps of richmond park.

roger

Chriscommuter

I'll third that!

Have been riding with them since autumn last year and joined in Oct.

There are some who are very fast (and young!) but there are also a bunch, many of whom have wife and kids to return to on a Sun, who are "recreational".

Just turn up one Sun, join one of the groups and give it a go...

jwe

Thanks for the input guys.
I have been road cycling for a year now and I am interested in doing some cyclosportives.
Been looking for a club to join but found it a bit intimidating as I don’t know my level and don’t want to be left behind or hold people up.
By the sound of things Kingston Wheelers does not sound like one of those clubs.
I shall be joining you guys for a club run in the very near future.

Thanks.

Chriscommuter

Cool, the turnout may be a bit low this w/e, with Easter etc

But come along whenever you wish. As for being left behind, we did leave one guy who was about 17 stone, on a big old mountain bike and had big fat tyres on! He struggled! But if you've been riding for a year, come along and start with the "short run at club run pace" to Box Hill. It's about 40 miles and there is always a group doing it.


I did my first sportive about 3 weeks ago, The Surrey Rumble and am now signed up for a 100 miler.

Chris

Chriscommuter

Cool, the turnout may be a bit low this w/e, with Easter etc

But come along whenever you wish. As for being left behind, we did leave one guy who was about 17 stone, on a big old mountain bike and had big fat tyres on! He struggled! But if you've been riding for a year, come along and start with the "short run at club run pace" to Box Hill. It's about 40 miles and there is always a group doing it.


I did my first sportive about 3 weeks ago, The Surrey Rumble and am now signed up for a 100 miler.

Chris

drewfromrisca

I'm a Wheeler, been out with them a few times and became an official member last month. Great club nice people, Sunday run's are a good day out.

Slipknotjonny

''we did leave one guy who was about 17 stone, on a big old mountain bike and had big fat tyres on! He struggled!

This is a really great advert for how friendly and welcoming you profess to be. Fair enough, if someone turns up on a really unsuitable bike, by all means tell them that their bike is unsuitable. However because someone is ' about 17 stone' what is the relevance of that?

Am I and anyone else who ers on the side of portliness, not welcome at Kingston Wheelers, that's what you seem to suggest. Would we bring dispriute to the 'Wheelers' by stretching the club lycra a little to far?

Chriscommuter, I would be really interested to read your comments , maybe I've got the wrong end of the stick. :?

Johnpwr

Slipknotjonny wrote:

''we did leave one guy who was about 17 stone, on a big old mountain bike and had big fat tyres on! He struggled!

This is a really great advert for how friendly and welcoming you profess to be. Fair enough, if someone turns up on a really unsuitable bike, by all means tell them that their bike is unsuitable. However because someone is ' about 17 stone' what is the relevance of that?

Am I and anyone else who ers on the side of portliness, not welcome at Kingston Wheelers, that's what you seem to suggest. Would we bring dispriute to the 'Wheelers' by stretching the club lycra a little to far?

Chriscommuter, I would be really interested to read your comments , maybe I've got the wrong end of the stick. :?

A mention as to where/when the MTBer was left behind might be useful information, rather than assuming that he was left out in the 'wilds' of Surrey, assuming such a place exists

I left somebody behind on Sunday having made sure that he knew his way home, and after offering him a lift home. In my experience, most riders that are tired find that struggling up every hill and then trying to hang onto a group that is going just slightly too fast is so demoralising that it is actually better to ride on solo.

As a club run leader, I encounter this issue occasionally, but I think you'll find that the option of just abandoning somebody far from home is NEVER considered; and I would exepct that to hold for any club run anywhere.

Cheers

Chriscommuter

Sorry guys,

I phrased that really badly.....

The gent concerned wasn't used to riding at all. By the time we got to Esher (about 4 to 5 ) miles he was really struggling. At that point he decided to go back and he was directed the right way to go.

Shape, size, age doesn't matter, which is just as well for me as i am nearly 50 and not exactly slim!

We always wait for everbody and help with mechanical problems etc..

Hope that clears things...

Slipknotjonny

Chriscommuter, I thought that it must have been a 'phraseological ' faux pas

Given that you lovely wheelers are welcoming all and sundry I'll be right along in my size 8 skin suit.

Just hope I do n't frighten the horses !