We are a sociable cycle club with seventeen active sections in Bedfordshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, East Northamptonshire, Surrey and Sussex. Each section organises rides between one and three times a week. We welcome all those in London and the South-East seeking a friendly club to ride with, whether experienced cyclist, returnee or relative newcomer.
Most of our rides are mid-week but some sections offer Sunday rides.
You can come out and try our rides a few times, before joining. You are welcome to join us for all or part of the ride, or meet us at lunch.
Who are we?
Our members are aged from 40 to their late 90s. The majority are retired or semi-retired, but some are shift or part-time workers, unemployed, self-employed, full-time “mums” or teachers on holiday. The bikes they ride range from expensive light weight titanium machines, through conventional tourers and hybrids, to “shoppers” and electric assisted bikes. Some are former competitive cyclists or experienced cycle tourists but many have only taken up cycling in retirement. Sections vary in their speed and the distance they cover, so ask around if the section you try does not suit you.
What are our rides like?
The countryside and terrain we ride in varies, but all areas have a network of quiet lanes that are perfect for exploration by bike. You can ride to the start or get there by car or train.
Most sections meet at a café and then ride together to a pub for lunch; some sections continue to an afternoon tea stop, others ride home after lunch. Some sections just meet at lunch. The larger sections can have 25 on the ride and 40 at lunch.
Members sometimes get together for cycling holidays in the UK and abroad. There are also special events, which are also open to non-members.
Where are the sections and when do they ride?
The sections and the days they ride are listed below:
Sections |
Day of ride |
Beds and Northants sections |
| Bedfordshire ride in small groups from local centres and meet at lunch. |
Tuesdays |
| East Northants meet at 12.00 for lunch. |
Wednesdays
|
Essex sections |
| Essex A meet at 10.00 (10.30 departure) at cafés, mostly within 10 miles of Chelmsford, and ride to lunch and tea. |
Thursdays |
| Essex B meet at 10.30 (11.00 departure) at Harlow Garden Centre or Stapleford Aerodrome (SW Essex) and ride to lunch. |
Thursdays
Informal ride Tuesdays
|
| Essex Easy Riders ride in the north-east Essex area. They meet at a café and ride to lunch. |
Tuesdays
|
| Essex Sunday are based in the west Essex/Harlow area and meet for lunch at 13.15. |
Sundays
|
Mid Essex meet at Writtle or Sandon near Chelmsford and ride to elevenses and lunch.
| Tuesdays |
| North East Essex meet at a café at 10.00 (10.30 departure) in the summer
and at 10.30 (11.00 departure) in the winter. They ride to lunch and,
in the summer, tea. |
Tuesdays
|
| Southend start in Rayleigh at 9.30 and ride to elevenses and lunch. |
Tuesdays
Thursdays
|
| Southend Easy Riders meet on Sundays for lunch. |
Sundays
|
Hertfordshire sections |
St Albans meet at 10.00 at a café in
Hatfield or St Albans. A faster/longer ride leaves the cafe at
10.30; a slower/shorter ride at 10.45.
A very short slow ride leaves from Welwyn at 11.30.
On Thursdays they meet at the Green Man Sandridge for coffee at 11.00 and ride to lunch or meet at the lunch venue.
|
Tuesdays
Thursdays
|
North Herts rides to lunch at a
country pub on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays. Thursday
lunch destinations are listed on the web-site; Tuesday rides depend on weather conditions.
|
Tuesdays and/or Thursdays
|
| East Herts section meet at 10.00 (10.30 departure) at Hertford for coffee, and ride to lunch and back home. |
Tuesdays and
Fridays
|
South East (Kent) |
South East section meet at a café at 10.30
(11.00 departure) and ride to lunch.
See also Surrey, Kent, Sussex borders section below.
|
Wednesdays
Sundays
|
Surrey and Sussex |
| Surrey and Sussex meet at a café at 10.45
(11.15 departure) and ride to lunch |
Tuesdays
Summer Wednesdays (car or train assisted once a month)
Fridays (standard rides every Friday, additional slower
paced rides twice a month) |
| Surrey, Kent, Sussex borders meet at a café at 10.45
(11.15 departure) and ride to lunch | Wednesdays (twice a month).
|
| Surrey and Sussex Sunday Section meet
at a café from 10.30 to noon |
Sundays
|
|
|
