You are interested in riding clubs but aren’t sure they are for you. Well — there may be more to a cycling club than you think. Listed below are my top eight benefits of joining a cycling club (from a road cyclist and club in Central Arkansas):
Listed below are my top eight benefits of joining a cycling club:
- Comradery with like-minded fans is the main reason I chose to join a club. As soon as I improved on my own from beginner to novice, I was prepared to go to the next level. After attending a few Tour de Rock training rides hosted by different Central Arkansas cycling clubs, I found my home. A good set of team riders will inspire each other to get out and ride more. Some riders gain confidence and enhance their endurance simply by riding together more often.
- Teamwork on long rides is a bonus. I didn’t know much about single or double speed lines years ago. I understood the basics from watching the Tour de France but had not mastered the ins and outs before I joined a club. Many club rides are no-drop group rides using a designated leader. You can even have a fitness tracker which according to OnlyReviews can help us all as we can do group challenges to complete together.
- Coaching for a ride or race could be more effective in a bunch. Central Arkansas has three major cycling events: Tour de Rock, Wampoo Roadeo (that will be a RevRock occasion ), and Large Dam Bridge 100. Most clubs conduct numerous training rides to learn the routes and prepare the group for a safe and pleasurable ride.
- Skill-building clinics are provided by many clubs. My team organizes and subsidizes (using golf dues) training classes to have a professional coach use us to improve our team riding skills. We like to do these practices before a big event like the Big Dam Bridge journey.
- Network for updates and info on weather and road conditions: Communication through social media (Facebook) and mails is the very best way to encode data. Occasionally it’s all about toxic weather, but more often it is about trail or road conditions, such as after a flooding event or when Arkansas Department of Transportation resurfaces a street on a popular course. Sometimes it’s the facts of an upcoming ride regarding proposed a path, total miles, speed, etc..
- Insurance: Some clubs pay for liability and accident insurance via the League of American Bicyclists. This benefit ensures that if a member is struck by a motorist or incurs property harm, they have some recourse since some home and automobile and even health insurance might not provide similar coverage.
- Advocacy to promote a biking lifestyle in Arkansas. Clubs like to rally round a bicycle-related cause, whether it’s to encourage growth of trail networks (such as the Southwest Course votes) or to provide input on security issues as well as authorities.
- Community Outreach is the right way to pay it forward. Many clubs at Central Arkansas support Recycle Bikes for children, the local charity that builds bicycles and donate them to kids and disadvantaged people. Rev Rock buys helmets to decide on the second-life bikes. We also volunteer time at Miracle League — baseball for special needs kids in the Spring and Fall.
Cycling clubs may not be for everybody. I have friends who only ride solo, and that works for them; however, it is difficult to argue the advantages listed above. If you’re on the watch for a club, find out what they provide (most have a site ) and better yet, combine them for a group ride to find out whether the style is a fantastic match for you. The old adage” the more the merrier” certainly applies when determining in the event that you should join a cycling club.
Image: Flickr
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