Beginners

The Beginner's Guide (courtesy of Addiscombe CC)

How long does it take to learn to drive a car?  Three months, six months?  More for some people. How long from when you pass your test to when you feel confident to go out on long journeys or travel at high speed?  Up to a year ? Sometimes longer.  How long does it take for a novice cyclist to feel confident on long journeys or to feel safe zooming downhill off road at top speed?  More often than not the same time as it takes to master driving a car.

It is often easy for experienced cyclists to forget the learning curve that they had to ride up to get to where they are, just as most people probably forget just how confused they were when they first sat in the drivers seat.  Not at Ludlow CC though!

Frequently Asked Questions

People naturally have quite a few questions they ask us before coming out on one of our rides. Here we try to answer some of the more popular ones for you. If you have any other questions about cycling in general or the agreeable activities we do then please email us.

I want to ride with you. How fit do I have to be?

Not particularly. If you can ride 20 miles or so you are fit enough to come out on a mountain bike ride. If you can ride about 30 miles or so then you are fit enough to try a Sunday road ride or even a 10 mile time trial. 

Is everyone else fast? What if I can't keep up?

Our club rides are not fast. We want to encourage people to ride a bike, not leave them behind and put them off cycling for life. Try riding as far as you can on a flat road at 15 mph. That is what we do and it is always easier when you are in a group. If you really don't think you can keep up email us and we will give you the details of your local CTC group. They go even slower than us, often at 12 mph. You will definitely keep up with them!

Do I have to race?

Not at all. You do as much or as little as you like. You may find that racing is infectious, especially time trials, which are done entirely at your own speed. In a time trial you cannot come last as you are racing against your previous personal best times always trying to better them.

How far do you go on a Sunday?

Generally we go out for about 40 miles via a cafe for tea and cake. You can do more or less if you like.

What is the difference between time trials and road racing?

Road racing is you against 60 or more other people riding in a big bunch (just like the Tour). The groups are made up of riders the same level as you so you won't be riding against the experts! Time trials involve a field of riders who go off individually at 1 minute intervals over a set distance. The one who covers it in the quickest time is the winner. There are all sort of abilities in time trials but the person you are racing against is yourself. For this reason we encourage beginners to try time trials first if they want to see how fast they can go. They are often pleasantly surprised!

I only have a mountain bike and I want to go out on the road rides. Is this ok?

Yes, but for your own sake stick some slicks on and a set of pedals that you 'click' in to. You will be able to keep up.  People even race MTBs in 10-mile time trials.

Cars scare me. Do you go anywhere quiet?

Yes cars scare us as well.  But we have the quietest and most courteous lanes ANYWHERE in our area, and we know how to find them!  If you really hate cars the mountain bike rides are almost exclusively off road.

Do I have to have all the gear?

Well, a bike is quite helpful really. It doesn't have to be fancy, just reliable. It is always a good idea to ask around other club members for advice on what to spend your money on. They often have a lot of good quality used stuff for sale as well and are always happy to see someone get a lot of fun from something. We have our own team strip that you can buy if you plan to race. It is way cheaper than Premier League football kits.

So what else do you do?

We meet every week from the late spring and to late summer for Tuesday evening (friendly) time trials, we have Sunday easy rides from the Autumn to early Spring, we have Sunday afternoon MTB rides, we go out for a pint, have BBQs, we go away for weekends when there is something special on. Oh and we go to races together.

OK, you guys rock. What do I do next?

Just email us and we will get you out with people you will enjoy riding with.

Why are you doing all this stuff for me?

We all had to start somewhere. We remember how daunting it seemed all those years ago. Cycling is great fun. We want to help you realise that. Oh and also we want more people to go down the pub with, more people to crack poor jokes with, more people to race with, more people to share lifts to events with etc etc. It works both ways!

If you have any other queries please email us

And read all about members' first rides......

An amusing tale of Phil Smart's first time trial - Journal of a Wannabe

Phil Weaver's recent introduction to the joys of road racing - A first road race - and bunch sprint?!