Would You Joining a Cycling Club Why or Why Not
 

So I have been working with my local cycling club and they are having a hard time finding members and keeping the community alive. Member of the club get some benefits such as discounts at bike shops and they also do some community work like bikes for kids and the less fortunate. Membership is relatively cheap $30 for the year and that gets you 10-20% discount at shops.

Although the majority of you are not from New Hampshire I'm still curious what motivates you to join a cycling club. What reason would you join and what reason would you not join. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you

No.

I can get better discounts on the interwebs.

I join to support the local community. The $20 membership is minimal compared to the cost of a bike.

But honestly I don't get any value being a memeber.

This is what I told them at the meeting. But besides discounts what other reason might there be to join the club?

Organized club rides and socials. If you have rides for beginners and all levels folks will come once they hear about it. 2-3 rides a week, 3-4 social events per year keeps my club rolling along well.

We had a club deal with ritchey this year for any ritchey products at 20% off wholesale. UK retailers can't even beat that. Another club had Cannondale team deal for $1500 caad 10 ultegras and $2100 supersix 105 and good deals and custom team frames $500 caad10 and $1200 supersix. Those are pretty good benefits

But best way to attract members is cool jerseys and kits

I joined my 1st Cycling Club to race in the ABL of A on the track and road >40 years ago.
I stayed in the USCF organization's coaching and neutral support for decades after.

Local cycling clubs are the heart and soul of Cycling development for District, National, Olympic and Professional Cycling development.
After retirement I'm done w/ that and ride my own rides now.

Thanks to my 1st coach who put us on the tough road to good technique and a lifetime of riding w/ speed, grit, style and panache.

PS: "Cycling" is an Olympic and Professional Sport, not to be confused with "bike riding", plootering about or any such activity on a bicycle.

-Bandera

"Best Way" is District podium finishes in all categories of competition over decades.
See: Wolverines

Wolverine Sports Club "The Club of Champions"

-Bandera

if compensated in cash I would consider it.

Seems to me the primary reason to join a cycling club is to ride with others - group rides, organized training, and so forth. Social events, cool kit, community service opportunities, etc., are natural to a lively club, but secondary to the purpose, it seems. Group discounts? An occasional benefit maybe, but hardly the kind of thing on which to base the life of a club, and honestly the LAST thing I'd be interested in getting from a club.

Group rides is the main reason IMO. Discounts etc. are really secondary.

Our Club does group rides but most people do not pay membership and they still show up. What do your clubs do different to have people actually join the club.

Our club has approx 400 members. You don't HAVE to be a member to ride with the club. But most regulars are members. Membership is about $60/year which covers the price of a decent quality (Voler) jersey. We change the color scheme of the kit every 2 years to keep it interesting.

+1

OP, it sounds like your club needs a few more people to step up and take more of a leadership role. Does your club have a variety of interesting and challenging rides? Do you have a lot of competition from other groups, where riders will chose their ride over your clubs? Do you have any social events to get to know riders off their bikes? Do you have any hot chicks in your club? :rolleyes:

I initially joined a cycling club for the comradery on weekend group rides.
But now I rarely show up for the rides, and just maintain a membership out of loyalty to the club and support of the organization.
.
edit: If you're looking to grow your club, look to the youth in the community, like local high shchools, and colleges.

I joined Thread City Cyclers ten years ago. It is located in Willimantic, CT. I joined because I wanted to be a part of the local cycling community. The benefits have included riding with more experienced riders who help me learn something new every ride and give me a reason to be motivated to ride with my friends. I have gained a lot of friends and have, indeed, found a community. It has nothing to do with discounts.

:roflmao2:


I love the Marx Bros. Always good for a laugh.

I joined my club for the community aspect of it. There are some discounts associated with, but I barely use them.

Our club, and many other clubs locally, make use of a Facebook page for people to organize unofficial rides. Maybe something to consider?

I had joined the local club when I first started cycling. But I found all their group rides were centered around the experienced (and often mature) membership and not suited my beginner (at the time) skill level. I kept the membership and continued cycling and getting faster and stronger with better endurance.

Meanwhile.... I'd got the newsletters. I also received the posting to Facebook. The cycling club was affiliated with The League of American Bicyclist. The League..... is an association of lawyers who lobby congress for a percentage of highway funds (that can be diverted to cycling paths and other cycling related projects). The political nature of the "League" is opposite of my beliefs.

I have no desire to join a Socialist Club. So I left. And I believe others have also. The Club seems to be down to a few old gray haired non-bicyclists. It's very sad. I'd join a club that is about cycling in a hot minute.

First I think Club like Veterans Service Groups (American Legion,VFW.DAV, Purple Heart Veterans) etc. are wonderful groups. Problem is if you have 100 members on the roster 10-15% will do any work, maybe 20-40% are active members and will attend a function if someone else does the work.

I have been in clubs, orginizations, and even a few VSO's. I went to the Marine Corps League Meeting near my home. They spent 30 minutes deciding how to handle a dopnation of $200.00 to another group. The stumbling point was shold they give the money to the State League, or the group directly. After 20 minutes of yack yack. The motion was table till the nxt meeting.

If I want to do something I do it, my committee of one say it is OK. Last year I took over 10,000 magazines, & book to the State Veterans Home & VA Hospital in PHX. Coordinated donation of clothing, shoes furnature, and house hold item to a group of Veterian in the local Elk that find Vets in need for the donated item they store in their

I have because of my dealing with the VA over 40 years have knowledge of how the medical care & claim system works. So this information is share by Vets who vtell other Vets to call or e-mail me.

I am currently a member of a club, and have been a member of various clubs on and off (mostly on) since the late 1990s.


I don't do it for the discount at shops. Although some clubs have offered that, I have rarely used it.

What I do it for are the rides.


The first club I joined was a racing club. They were happy to take newbies to racing, and give them some coaching, and help them out with racing. That was their specialty. We had one or two riders who were a little more advanced, but the majority of us were pretty new to it all. That suited me down to the ground for a couple years ... and then I moved on. The main reason I moved on was because of all the politics ... I felt like we were attending more meetings than we were cycling. And the clincher was a series of meetings (1-2 days a week for several weeks) on gorgeous summer evenings when we should have been out cycling. I couldn't be bothered ... I wanted to ride. So my third year of racing, I raced as in independent.


Since then, I've been a member of randonneuring/audax clubs, and cycletouring clubs when I can find them. Why? Because I like long distance cycling and those clubs offer long distance cycling.




1. What kind of rides does your club offer?

2. Most clubs I've been a member of have a 1-free-visit policy or a non-member per-ride fee. It has to do with the insurance and all the legalities of running a club. You can't have people riding with a club unless they are covered by the insurance, etc.

I joined because I enjoy riding, and I enjoy riding more with friends. I enjoy meeting people and a shared interest in riding is a good starting point to develop friendships. Today i rode from my home to the ride start, caught up with another member riding in who got a major chain wrap, helped him sort it. I got to the ride start, saw and chatted with a few others I know. Rode the first half of the ride with another guy, rode the back half of the ride with a different friend. Stopped and helped a woman who'd dropped her chain, and got in 47 miles. A good day and a good ride, made better by sharing the experiences with others.

I was not always this way, but as I've gotten older I've changed.

One advantage of riding with a club or team having a group of riders with similar agreements on bike etiquette. It is safer riding with the same people. I rode with a track team, we would ride 6 inches or less from the wheel in front of us. We had a lot of miles riding the same 15 rear wheels, so it was very comfortable.

My local club takes a fairly active role in cycling advocacy with the city and county governments (in addition to the "normal" bike club stuff). $25/year to support those efforts is money well spent. Add on socials, newsletters, etc. and the decision to join gets even easier.