Joining

If you would like to join the waiting list for our Go-Ride sessions at Davidson's Mains or Inch Park please register here, one entry per rider. The Davidson's Mains sessions will pause over the summer holidays while those at the Inch will continue.

If you would like to join the club and participate in all the other activities shown below (other than go-ride) Join here

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ERC Youths (U16) Including Go-Ride

If you are 6-15 years old and enjoy cycling you've come to the right place!

The ERC Youth Go-Ride section is dedicated to teaching skills, having fun and getting fit in a safe, traffic-free environment. From there we introduce girls and boys to a wide range of cycle sports, including mountain biking, cyclocross, road-circuit racing and track racing. All sessions take place off-road although there may be a need to ride on roads between locations.

The sessions build on the skills developed at IBike, Bikeability and the Active Travel initiatives in Edinburgh Schools. They will provide a strong basis for physical and social well-being that can aid young riders' development and personal confidence. Both sites offer an excellent variety of terrain and provide opportunities for young riders to develop their skills. This will prepare them for a range of leisure and sporting cycling activities.

ERC Youths participate in races across Scotland, with our more serious riders competing as part of the ERC Goodson Race Team. ERC organise youth cyclo-cross events at Inch Park, youth criteriums at the Fife Cycle Park, and at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow.

ERC Youth members have collected multiple national medals, including winning the British U16 boys' cyclo-cross championship in 2023, the U16 Boys' Circuit Race Championships in 2013, 2014 & 2016, and the U16 boys Mountain-bike Championships in 2016. Some of our club members have even gone on to join the British Olympic Development Academy Programme.

But . . . .

You don't have to be a superstar to join us, simply enjoy riding your bike!

ERC Youth is a British Cycling Go-Ride registered club.
Our Well-being and Protection Officer is Simon Innes. who can be contacted at erc.cwpo@gmail.com.

U16 Go-Ride Sessions

These are aimed at young riders aged 6-15 years who want to improve their skills and have fun. It is also the best starting point for those wishing to race. Many of our Go-Riders take part in racing (cyclo-cross, road, track and MTB) and all our national champions began riding on grass in Go-Ride sessions.

Winter: Saturday afternoons 2-3.30 pm, Summer: Monday evenings 6.30-8 pm.

Please check the What's On page for times and details of the current Go-Ride youth sessions.

South Edinburgh:

Inch Park near Glenallan Drive. This backs onto the Cameron Toll shopping centre. Meet here for the sessions. Some groups go to Craigmillar Castle Park which is adjacent to Inch Park.

North Edinburgh:

Davidson's Mains Park, East Barnton Ave, EH4 6AQ, where we restarted in April 2022. This location has a summer recess until 21 Aug 2023.

Some sessions may use Corstorphine Hill which can be accessed from the north, adjacent to Davidson's Mains Park.

New Members

ERC membership remains open for cycling, triathlon and other member benefits even if there is a waiting list for Go-Ride places.

Apply to join by completing the Go-Ride application form and waiting list (opens on a new page) for each prospective member. When places are available we will contact you with joining details.

Prospective Go-Ride members will be offered an introductory session to see if it is what they want and for us to determine their skill and fitness levels. If they then wish to join us, they must become an ERC member and will be assigned to an appropriate group for subsequent sessions.

The introductory session is free, then monthly subscriptions are £16 for an individual rider or £24 for a family rate of 2 or more riders, with concessionary rates for children eligible for free school meals.

Before taking part in a Go-Ride session, please read more about club membership for youths: How to join, what you need to take part, and information for parents.

Saturday Trail Rides

Saturday mornings will see longer rides that will explore Edinburgh using its main cycle routes and quiet residential streets. These rides will be between 15 and 25 miles and about 1.5 to 2 hours long. Examples will be rides to an ice cream stop at Cramond via the old rail paths, the Promenade of outer Edinburgh, or the cycle paths of South Edinburgh and Dalkeith. These are open to ERC youth members, sign up on LoveAdmin.

Mountain biking

Each Saturday the youth section organises sessions at places such as Bonaly.

We also hold regular sessions on trails in and around Edinburgh, including Corstorphine Hill, the Pentlands and the Tweed Valley. As of summer 2023, we hope to have more qualified trail leaders which will widen our offering of off-road adventures.

Road Racing Sessions

These are another step in a rider's progression from Go-Ride. The skills are similar to those learned on grass, but at higher speeds and just as fun. Skills gained in road sessions will enable participants to improve their confidence riding in groups valuable for riding on roads and if they wish to progress to racing.

We run sessions every Thursday at the West Lothian Cycle Circuit in Linlithgow for budding road racers and those keen to improve road riding skills on this closed road facility. It's the closest you can come to riding on a snooker table!

The section also organises coaching sessions at the Fife Cycle Park (FCP), this is longer and hillier than than the WLCC.

In addition, members can take part in events organised by Scottish Cycling. Both WLCC and FCP are one of the venues for youth racing.

ERC youths at Fife Cycle Park
Photo: Gordon Gray

Cyclo-Cross Races and Training

ERC runs an annual youth cyclocross race for 4-16 yrs at Inch Park in September. This is an excellent opportunity for those new to racing to experience racing in a fun environment.

ERC supports regional training clusters (shared with other local clubs) for those aged 12+. These are 3 or 4-hour intensive sessions which develop cyclocross racing skills.

Roller Sessions

7-8.00 pm Wednesdays, during the winter months. These sessions involve riding a road bike on a fixed set of rollers akin to a rolling road. It helps develop excellent bike handling skills and gives you a vigorous workout in a warm and dry environment. These are open for 8-16-year-olds. The section has a few sets of rollers to allow you to try before you buy.

Track Sessions

The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in the east end of Glasgow gives members access to the boards all year. Bikes, helmets and shoes are available to rent at the venue. Glasgow Life, ERC and Scottish Cycling organise introductory sessions which are suitable for youth riders. Youth races are included in the weekly track league held on Fridays over the winter months.

One of our younger riders at the velodrome looking away from the surprised-looking coach (or was he engaging in Tai Chi?)

ERC Junior Race Team (U18)

For 17 and 18-year-olds, the ERC Junior Race Team competes in local, national and international road races, including the Junior Tour of Wales, Junior Tour of Ireland and racing in Belgium and the Netherlands. The club has a year-round programme of training, helping riders prepare for racing at the highest level. Racing and training sessions take place on the open road but they may also use closed road circuits or velodromes.

You can read about the Junior Race Team in the ERC Junior Race Team Blog

We welcome all applications from boys or girls who would like to work hard and experience racing at the highest levels; indeed, many of the riders are in Scottish national teams.