New Riders
Cycling can be a great way to get out on the road to get fit.
Mid Oxon are a friendly club, & members will always offer advice freely.
Club rides
Riding in a group
Be prepared
Items on the web that may help
Above all else, look after yourself & enjoy the freedom of roads round Oxfordshire.
Mid Oxon are a friendly club, & members will always offer advice freely.
Club rides
- Sunday rides all start from Carfax at the centre of Oxford.
- The club’s Winter Sunday club rides are generally taken at a steady effort. We tend to ride at a pace where we’re all still able to chat. Average will be something like 16mph, & roughly 50-55 miles.
- Summer rides tend to be longer & slightly faster. Each ride will be 60 miles plus, & ridden at 17-18mph average. Again, we’ll mostly be chatting all the way round, but there will be faster efforts.
- We avoid A-roads whenever possible. It’s rare that rides will venture onto trunk routes.
- Each Mid Oxon club ride will have a café stop for a quick drink & some food.
- Any rider that comes with Mid Oxon will get the support of our friendly group, & will be looked after.
- Other clubs in Oxford will ride at different paces, so you’ll find one that fits your needs.
- Riding in a group will lower your required effort by 20-30%, so if you’re able to ride 30-40 miles comfortably then you’ll be able to stay within our group. If not, one of us will drop back.
Riding in a group
- Riding with others in a group takes extra care & attention. Avoid sudden manoeuvres where possible.
- Be aware that getting out of the saddle throws the bike backward, so pay special attention on climbs where that will be expected. As a precaution, ride in a slightly offset position to the rider in front.
- Enjoy the experience. It’s easier to ride in a group, because the riders at the front will be bearing the adverse effects of the wind.
Be prepared
- On any bike ride, you’ll need to be prepared for the possibility of a puncture & in case of an emergency have the means to call for assistance.
- Most club riders will carry one or two spare tubes, have a working pump, & will have tyre levers. Carrying emergency patches is an option too.
- If riding alone, carry a phone in a waterproof bag, & some change in case you need to buy water or food.
- Ride at a pace that you’re comfortable with to get you back in one piece.
- Make sure that you’re prepared for the weather. Nothing worse than getting caught in rain, & not having a jacket that will keep you dry. There are many that you can easily tuck into jersey pockets.
Items on the web that may help
- Take a look at the following helpful advice for club rides in these RoadcyclingUK pages.
- Lots of useful stuff in the bikeradar.com road beginners forum too.
Above all else, look after yourself & enjoy the freedom of roads round Oxfordshire.