The launch of the Wo(men) Who Cycle But Not In A Club Club

Post by Nicole of Bikethoughtsfromabroad

OK, no more (tongue-in-cheek) comments about cycling flouro people (crazy or otherwise).

This week….a call to arms, well…bikes.  After speaking to loads of friends and acquaintances who also happen to cycle, a few of us thought that we had something in common.  I love to ride my bike, whenever I can, and wherever the mood takes me.  But I don’t often have the time, or the inclination, to join 40 or so other cyclists in club kit at 7.30 in the morning to ride around the Surrey or Sussex hills, to be back in the family fold by 12 after having knocked out 50 miles. Sometimes, it just doesn’t fit in with what I want to do.  

How it should work

I’d prefer it if things kicked off about 11.30 and we rode around aimlessly for a bit, stopped for a coffee and a cake (this is the crucial part) and rode around a bit more until we got bored and all went our separate ways.   Or we met up for a bite to eat and then rode around a bit until we felt less guilty about the lunch and could slope off home.  

I wouldn’t be posting my embarrassing and humiliating Garmin results up on the club website because there wouldn’t be one and if I did, and there was, I’d be banned from the next ride!   It would just be a more leisurely environment in which to do some cycling and at the moment, cycling clubs don’t really cater for that.

To that end, I’m proposing a Wo(men) Who Cycle But Not In A Club Club, the inaugural meeting of which will be February 17th at 7pm at Look Mum No Hands. I’m hoping to organise a first Saturday in the month casual all-comers ride alternating in and around London and Sussex, of about 2-3 hours duration, to be prefaced by lunch or interrupted by a coffee and cake stop or indeed both!  

I’d also like to include some tougher challenges, the first of which will be this:
Women Only Sportive – 100km on 8 May 2011

It’s Women only because it’s the first of it’s kind and there are already a gazillion sportives out there for all.  I know some people object to having to pay to enter events and having to raise sponsorship and you are one of those, then feel free to click off now, but I’ve already got a small group together to do some training rides so we can co-ordinate those on the 17th February.

Anybody with any other plans for sportives or other rides, please add your suggestions at the meet up or below.

If anybody would like to join this select crew for some rides of a non-epic quality, then let us know if you’re going to pitch up by commenting below. Or just comment anyway.