Moving to Chipping Norton, looking for a club

ejayAD

Not sure if this is the best place to ask this, apologies if not, but here goes.

My girlfriend and I are moving to Chipping Norton at the end of this month so I'm looking for a club for us both to join nearby. Was wondering if any members on here are from that kind of area and would know of good clubs in the vicinity? From what I've seen so far was maybe thinking of an Oxford-based club..?

Can't see any Chipping Norton clubs on the net but if there's anybody close by who would be interested in riding together that would be great too!

Thanks for any help.

CiB

There's a thriving and quite decent club in Bicester, if you can deal with the journey there. I've been out with them a couple of times but they're a bit too far away for me.

dsoutar

Banbury too far ?

http://www.banburystar.co.uk/

North Cotswolds (Moreton in the Marsh) ?

http://groupspaces.com/northcotswoldcc/


Both seem fairly active

Bobbinogs

There's a friendly (and slightly informal) group that are based around Cotswold Cycles in Moreton, which is just down the road. Website for the shop is here: http://www.cotswoldcycles.co.uk/. They do regular rides with a couple of small groups based on ability.

I sometimes meet folks from Retrobike around Stow on the Wold for quarterly retro rides as well (you don't need an old bike, just like bikes really).

Failing that, lots of other options for group rides in Cheltenham (my two clubs), Stroud and Oxford. Drop me a PM if you want more info.

smidsy

You could join that infamous club of 1 - Jeremy Clarkson!

ejayAD

Thanks folks, that's really helpful. Hadn't managed to find any of those in the searching I'd done! We will probably have a look at joining the North Cotswold or Banbury club, would be nice and close. Help much appreciated!

thiscocks

Banbury club have easy rides saturday (9 or 10 oclock I think) and a regular club ride on sunday at 8:30 (normally about 50miles). If you go onto their facebook page you can get more info, plenty of friendly members to give you more info.

rich164h

I've done a couple of rides with the NCCC and didn't really enjoy them to be honest. A joint beginner/experienced group was set up on one ride which then proceeded to ride at 18-19mph average and lost all of the beginners within the first 30 mins, and when the chance to catch up was there the more experienced riders certainly didn't seem too impressed that they'd had to wait. The organiser himself was great and very welcoming, but with the exception of a couple of the younger lads it didn't seem like a very friendly club. I've not been back since.

I did a charity ride at the end of last summer and ended up in a pack with the Banbury Star riders for 40 miles and the attitude was completely different. Much more friendly and welcoming and still quick but nowhere near as serious.

Given the choice I know where I'd go, unfortunately Banbury itself is just a bit to far for me to travel to regularly at the moment with young kids and therefore limited time to squeeze in rides.

I hope I've just been unlucky with NCCC and that this isn't what most people experience (as the shop from where it's based is actually really good), but the above was how things were when I went there.

SoSimple

rich164h wrote:

I've done a couple of rides with the NCCC and didn't really enjoy them to be honest. A joint beginner/experienced group was set up on one ride which then proceeded to ride at 18-19mph average and lost all of the beginners within the first 30 mins, and when the chance to catch up was there the more experienced riders certainly didn't seem too impressed that they'd had to wait. The organiser himself was great and very welcoming, but with the exception of a couple of the younger lads it didn't seem like a very friendly club. I've not been back since.

I did a charity ride at the end of last summer and ended up in a pack with the Banbury Star riders for 40 miles and the attitude was completely different. Much more friendly and welcoming and still quick but nowhere near as serious.

Given the choice I know where I'd go, unfortunately Banbury itself is just a bit to far for me to travel to regularly at the moment with young kids and therefore limited time to squeeze in rides.

I hope I've just been unlucky with NCCC and that this isn't what most people experience (as the shop from where it's based is actually really good), but the above was how things were when I went there.

I'm pretty local too - in Witney and keen to join a club but what you've said is my worst nightmare about clubs.

All the ones mentioned are just that bit far away as I'd turn up already knackered...or worse still have to drive which kind of defeats the object.

smidsy

I know how you feel.

I currently have to cycle 11 miles to the club start point (mostly up hill), but after I move it will be 18 miles to the start (mostly up bigger hills).

Still, at least I will get fitter.