LESSONS LEARNED

Cycling isn’t always ‘as easy as riding a bike’. We talked to experienced cyclists, brave enough to share what they’ve discovered over the years

From going commando under your bib shorts to joining a club, top tips for new riders.

You don’t have to be super fit to join a club

Perception… Cycling clubs are only for the elite, folks just a whisper away from turning pro. Clubs are certainly not for the likes of you and me with our imperfect cadences and penchant for cake. Reality… You don’t have to be superhumanly fit to join a cycling club. Keen cyclist Neil Chatter was concerned he wouldn’t be able to keep up or fit in at his local club. “A friend said: ‘Just join the club, come with us’. At first, I didn’t really want to.”

Like many, Neil was convinced he’d embarrass himself. “You think that you’ve got to ride at least 30 miles at a decent pace, which wasn’t the case at all when I turned up. The first week I rode with the club, I went out with the ‘B ride’ and was told I should go out with the ‘A ride’ the following week.”

Now a great advocate for cycling clubs, Neil wishes he had joined one sooner: “I have made some great friends and gained so much knowledge.”