Why join a cycling club in 2019

I have been cycling for over 15 years and In those intervening years I’ve clocked up 1,000’s of training miles. I’ve cycled from Malin to Mizen head (twice) and in 2015, I completed the 1,200 km, 32 county Cycle For Life Challenge . During all that time, I did consider joining a cycling club, however I was reluctant for a number of reasons. One of which, was my belief that cycling clubs had an elitist feel to them. You had to ride a certain bike, be seen wearing particular clothing brands, stick to a strict training regime and there would be no social or fun side to it. However this couldn’t be further from the truth.

In 2018, I was involved in the setting up of Tallaght Wheelers, Dublin’s newest cycling club. Tallaght Wheelers is a Cycling Ireland affiliated club and will soon be celebrating its first birthday. The club has over 60 members and will continue to grow in 2019. Below are some of my reasons why you should consider joining a cycling club in 2019.

Get The Best Out Of Yourself- There is only so far you can go outside the club system. If you are looking to improve your time on a sportive or in competition, you are only realistically going to achieve this by joining a club
Comradeship & Friendship- You will gain more knowledge about the sport from your club mates then you will ever read on the internet or coaching book.
Coaches- Most clubs have coaches
Multi-Disciplines– You have a chance to try out all the events that make up the cycling family. Outside the club system, you may find it difficult to try out certain ones.
Team Competitions- There is no better feeling than if your team mate wins an event, however if you’ve played your part in helping them secure that victory, the feeling can be even greater. You will always have the added incentive of trying to help your club or club mates win events
Social Life- Most clubs have a good social scene and in some cases people have met their partners there
Give Something Back- Get involved in officiating and and coaching it too can be very enjoyable and fulfilling.
Help improve and develop the sport-. Every member has a democratic vote in the way the National Body and it subsidiaries run the sport.
Satisfaction- As a member of a club, you only get out of it what you put into it. For those members who have been members for many years, it is the best decision they’ve ever made.