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What are the Saturday road rides like?

The Good Morning Ride is the only Edinburgh RC organised ride, with a designated run leader. Other Saturday road rides take the same route each week and therefore don't require a ride leader. All rides require pre-registration and attendance will be taken on the day.

Group sizes are limited to a maximum of 16 and will be split by the ride leader/registrar before setting off.

Runs start from Royal Commonwealth Pool, Dalkeith Road, EH16 5BB.

Afterwards, riders from all groups meet up in various cafes around Marchmont and Bruntsfield. Please join us for a chat and some cake!

Good Morning Ride – for members and prospective members
The Good Morning Ride is a group ride for members interested in riding at a moderate steady pace, meeting other members and enjoying a bit of chat along the way. The format will generally be riding two abreast and riders may occasionally change position to take a turn on the front. The routes will be varied with an average pace of 14-16mph (22-25kph) for 2.5 to 3 hours. The ride will be led by an experienced ride leader each week who will direct the route and look after everyone. Although the ride is not for complete novices no-one will be left behind with the group stopping for mechanicals and regrouping on hills, etc. Members must register via LoveAdmin.

The Good Morning Ride is also open to prospective members who are considering joining the club but would like to try a club ride (up to 3 times) before purchasing a membership.

Club Ride - for chaingang training
The Club Ride is training style ride aimed at members that have 'through and off' chaingang riding experience with emphasis on smooth, safe group riding etiquette. Depending upon the number of riders and/or range of abilities the ride might be split into two or three groups. Intent is to operate well-paced rides such that riders are generally able to participate in the rotation. Although hard efforts on one or two hills are likely, it is expected that lead riders will then slow the pace briefly allowing riders to regroup. Average speeds are anticipated to be 17-20mph (28-33kph) depending upon group make-up and weather conditions. Members must register via LoveAdmin.

If you are unsure whether the ride is for you, there are several other groups which organise rides around Edinburgh, such as CTC Lothians and Borders

How should I prepare for group road rides?

Riding in a group has many advantages but it also places certain responsibilities on each rider. Punctures, mechanicals etc, whilst often bad luck, can be less of a trial if certain precautions are taken before the run.

Make sure your bike is safe – check brakes, wheels, rims and steering.

Also ensure that nothing is loose (especially mudguards) or liable to fall off. A lubricated chain etc is also a good idea.

Check your tyres – worn tyres are the single biggest preventable cause of punctures. Multiple punctures, apart from being a pain, won’t endear you to other riders waiting for you on a cold day !

Make sure you know how to fix a puncture – practice beforehand if you need to.

Equipment Required

You are likely to need the following equipment:

  • An appropriately serviced bike
  • At least one, but preferably two, spare inner tubes.
  • A working pump
  • Puncture repair kit – for those awful days when two tubes aren’t enough.
  • Tyre levers – 2/3
  • A multi tool – to adjust gears etc
  • Other optional tools eg chain breaker
  • Even in winter hydration is important so each rider should carry a water bottle.
  • Personal first aid – plasters, antiseptic wipes etc
  • Money – for the cafe stop
  • Waterproof
  • Carbohydrate drink
  • Solid carbohydrate source eg banana, raisins, jelly babies. Although groups sometimes have a cafe stop it’s a good idea to carry some spare food eg energy bars, bananas etc

Please ride safely and predictably, with consideration for your fellow riders, and above all within the rules of the road. Communication is key when riding in groups and the following is a list of common shouts:

  • Nose: vehicle approaching from the front
  • Tail: vehicle coming from behind
  • Stopping
  • Steady: stop speeding up
  • Off the back: rider unable to keep up and has lost contact with group
  • Spell: change riders at the front
  • Single up: ride in single file to allow build up of traffic to pass
  • Puncture/mechanical: warns group that someone has had a puncture
    (in)Side: obstacle coming up eg parked car

Signals:

  • Point out potholes etc
  • Signal directional changes

Individuals take part in any group rides at their own risk. Edinburgh RC and its club members accept no responsibility for the safety of anyone participating in group rides, and no liability in the event of an accident.

Riding in a Chain Gang

A Chain Gang is an efficient way to share time at the front. As its name suggests it is a dynamic chain of riders made up of a faster and a slower line. Depending on the wind direction the chain goes in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction to give shelter to the faster line. Please watch this video How to ride through and off (chaingang) | Race Smart - YouTube and review the points below before registering to ride the a chaingang type ride.

Since a chaingang is made up of a faster and a slower line, you will change speed as you move from one to the other – you slow down as you change lines at the front and speed up as you change at the back. With this in mind, some Do’s and Don’ts about riding in a chain gang:

  • Do ease off at the front when you change from the faster to the slower line – take the pressure off the pedals slightly, but don’t brake.
  • Do avoid leaving a gap as you move across – a gap forces the rider behind to accelerate to regain your wheel – not appreciated!
  • Do let riders nearby know if you are unable to go through and intend to sit at the back of the group to recover.
  • Do warn riders if you intend to rejoin the chain after sitting in.
  • Do stay alert, not just for the usual safety reasons, but to ensure that gaps don’t occur.
  • Don’t switch lines unnecessarily.
  • Don’t speed up when you reach the front.
  • Don’t ride erratically, keep it steady -remember the only time you should be accelerating is when you change lines at the back. Failure to observe this simple fact is the main reason why many chaingangs fall apart.

Continental Change – is a more sociable form of the chaingang where, instead of moving straight through from the faster line to the slower line, a rider will spend a few minutes at the front. The continental change is standard on the ERC Sunday club runs as it is the safest method of changing at the front.

Individuals take part in any group rides at their own risk. Edinburgh RC and its club members accept no responsibility for the safety of anyone participating in group rides, and no liability in the event of an accident.

How should I prepare for a mountain bike ride?

Be prepared! It’s often true that people carry more emergency gear for their bikes than for themselves. As a minimum:

  • Helmet (essential). There’s probably more regular riders in the offroad section who have landed on their head at some point than haven’t (which explains a lot to be fair). It just makes so much sense.
  • Water. Rucksack hydration packs (e.g. Camelbaks) are increasingly popular and give space to carry other bits and bobs, otherwise use frame-mounted water bottles.
  • Food. Depending on the ride, anything from a few cereal bars and jelly babies to sandwiches and enough food for a whole day. It’s unusual to have a café stop on offroad rides so carry sufficient food for the ride and a bit extra “just in case”.
  • Personal first aid – plasters, antiseptic wipes etc.
  • Spare clothing. As a minimum a warm layer and waterproof, and more for rides into remote areas and winter rides, e.g. leggings, fleece, spare gloves, armwarmers and legwarmers. Again tailor your extra kit to the ride you’re undertaking. If in doubt, ask the ride organiser what they think you’ll need.
    The club rides are best tackled on a reasonable quality mountain bike with knobbly tyres and a wide range of gears. It’s far from essential to spend a fortune but front suspension and decent brakes will be a definite advantage on most rides.
    While punctures and mechanicals can happen to everyone, a bit of preparation and TLC to the bike will go a long way to minimising them, so:
  • make sure your bike is safe – check wheels, rims, steering and suspension are working properly and ensure that nothing is loose or liable to fall off.
  • Keep your drivetrain clean and well lubed. This will help the gears work properly and make everything last that little bit longer.
  • Check your tyres and their pressures. Tyres that are too hard or badly worn won’t grip well while and those that are too soft or cut/ damaged will puncture easily. Make sure you know how to fix a puncture and have the kit to do so – pump, patches, tyre levers and at least one (but preferably two) inner tubes.
  • Check brake pads regularly and consider carrying spares, especially for V-brakes. In extreme conditions even disc pads can wear out in a very short period of time.
  • Crudcatcher-style mudguards that mount to the seatpost and downtube to keep the worst of the mud off without clogging.
  • Carry a multitool with a chain splitter and any spares you may need, such as brake pads, rear mech hanger, powerlinks and so on.

Individuals take part in any group rides at their own risk. Edinburgh RC and its club members accept no responsibility for the safety of anyone participating in group rides, and no liability in the event of an accident.

British Cycling Road and Circuit Licence Points and Category Progression - How are road points awarded?

BC Road and Circuit Races Points Structure:

  • List ‘A’ – For events up to 50 kms and womens up to 25 kms – first 6 places
  • List ‘B’ – For events from 51 – 100 kms, and womens 26-50 kms – first 10 places
    List ‘C’ – For events from 101-130 kms, and womens 51-65 kms – first 15 places
  • List ‘D’ – For events of 131 kms and above, and Womens Over 65km – first 20 places
  • List ‘E’ – For the final of any open senior/junior scratch race, including the overall result of any Omnium Competition National Road and Track events the points will be trebled (except those that are restricted to masters) Premier Calendar and other national RR races the points will be doubled (except those that are rest to masters only)
  • Youth events-Points are awarded to the first 3 riders, with points starting with 3 down to 1

How do I qualify for an upgrade on my racing licence?

Please see the British Cycling Road Categories and Classifications page for full details.