ERC Youths (U16)
Photo: © various
Joining
If you would like to join the waiting list for; Go-Ride (Davidson's Mains or Inch Park), MTB, Cyclocross training, or girls only Off-Road sessions please register here, one entry per rider.
If you would like to join the club and participate in all the other activities shown below Join here
Prospective members will be offered an introductory session to see if it is something that they enjoy 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.
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ERC Youths
If you are 6-15 years old and enjoy cycling you've come to the right place!
For younger riders our Go-Ride sessions are dedicated to teaching skills, having fun and getting fit in a safe, traffic-free environment. From there we provide pathways to 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 low-traffic roads between locations.
These 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.
You can read about some of the club's coaches on our profiles page.
ERC Youths participate in races across Scotland, with our more serious riders competing as part of the ERC Goodson Race Team. ERC organise a number of youth racing events throughout the year, such as a ‘dirt crit’ off-road race at Davidson's Mains Park, cyclo-cross events at Inch Park, youth criteriums at both the Fife Cycle Park and the West Lothian Cycle Circuit, and assist at track races 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.
Girls only Off-Road sessions Sessions (S1-S4)
See https://edinburghrc.co.uk/news/ercs-sessions-for-girls
Go-Ride Sessions (Ages 6+)
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. You can read more about go ride here.
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, . Some sessions may use Corstorphine Hill which can be accessed from Davidson's Mains Park via a signaled ‘toucan’ crossing.
Both locations 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.
Mountain biking (Ages 7+)
Despite the club name, we’re proud to run the largest youth mountain biking section in Edinburgh and the Lothians. Our sessions cater to all levels, from those brand new to off-road riding, to young riders competing at a high level in all disciplines of MTB racing. Whether you're looking to race cross-country (XC), Enduro, or simply enjoy riding off-road, we offer a wide range of sessions across various locations every week, each with a unique focus:
Skills Sessions: Saturday afternoons at Corstorphine Hill
Two sessions tailored to different ability levels, focusing on essential MTB skills, tackling technical trail features, and, most importantly, having fun. Suitable for ages 8 and up.
Race Sessions: Tuesday evenings at Braid Hills
XC and race-focused sessions designed to develop technical riding skills while introducing elements of training and fitness. Suitable for ages 10 and up.
MTB Trail Rides: Saturday afternoons in the Pentland Hills
Led by qualified ride leaders, our regular trail rides in the Pentlands and surrounding areas help young riders build confidence and experience across varied terrain. Suitable for ages 10 and up.
We also host regular rides and coaching days at top Scottish mountain biking destinations such as Glentress and Innerleithen. Plus, we actively support younger riders who are keen to take part in races.
Road Racing Sessions (Ages 8+)
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 with two other clubs at the West Lothian Cycle Circuit in Linlithgow. These are for budding road racers and those keen to improve their road riding skills. Primarily we want them to be fun. After the skills portion of the sessions, we finish with a short race, which could be a handicap race, as an individual or in a team. A monthly, season-long competition awards year champions across a range of skill and performance based races.
The section also organises coaching sessions at the Fife Cycle Park (FCP), which is longer and hillier than the WLCC.
In addition, members can take part in events organised by other Scottish Cycling affiliated clubs.
West Lothian Clarion
Cyclo-Cross (CX) Races and Training (Age 9+)
ERC has a flourishing youth CX group which continues to expand its numbers. CX is a good middle ground between MTB and road, and we have found that an increasing number of youths are focusing on CX as their main cycling discipline.
The club runs dedicated youth CX training sessions. These take place on Saturday afternoons during the autumn and winter months, and on Monday evenings in the spring (from Easter) and summer. These sessions are for children aged 9 and above who are keen to race, either for podium places or just for fun.
We support the regional training clusters (shared with other local clubs) for those aged 12 and above. These are 3 or 4-hour intensive sessions that develop cyclocross racing skills.
ERC organizes its own annual youth cyclocross race for children aged 4-16 at Inch Park in September. This attracts riders from across Scotland and provides a tremendous atmosphere with supportive parents. This is an excellent opportunity for those new to racing to experience competition in a fun environment.
A significant number of members participate in the Scottish cyclocross race series, the national championship, and other CX events.
Roller Sessions (Age 8+)
During the winter months these indoor sessions involve riding a road bike on a fixed set of rollers akin to a rolling road. This 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?)
Saturday Trail Rides
On some Saturday mornings, we will organise longer rides that 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.
ERC Youth Race Team
Catering for Youth B/U14 and Youth A/U16 age groupings, our ERC Youth Race Team competes in local, national and international races. 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.
We open applications annually for all 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.