We are a cycling club for adult riders (18 yrs and older) of all abilities based in Insch. All Rides Leave from the Bennachie Leisure Centre. We are affiliated to Scottish Cycling.
Sundays – throughout the year Summer 0745/0800 with a later ‘returners’ group for those new or returning to the sport; Winter Timings (early November until end of March) 0845/0900
Tuesday – 1900 hrs every Tuesday througout the year slow paced ‘returners’ evening ride 20 miles at ~12 mph
Tuesday – Jan to March Zwift Meetups with Training Programme
Wednesday – 1930 hrs every Wednesday throughout the year (weather allowing)
Thursday – Introductory Rides for beginners 1900 hrs April-September
All rides depart from Bennachie Leisure Centre Insch unless otherwise notified
I was asked recently what one got from being a member of a cycling club.
This post is an attempt to answer that question, whilst acknowledging that every club offers something subtly different and there is no ‘one size fits all’. Therefore, I will try to answer with what I think Insch CC membership provides and acknowledge that other clubs will offer similar benefits but with their own specialities or peculiarities.
So what are the benefits of being a member of Insch CC?
Being a member of any club provides, first and foremost, access to a wider knowledge base than your own. This knowledge will include the best local roads to ride; I had lived in Insch for 15 years but only after joining the club did I discover a vast network of roads that I had no idea were even there – and so many traffic free! A club-run is a great way to add to your repertoire of rides and get a feel for an area, you will also discover all the best local café stops and even freshwater springs (if on the Cabrach on a hot summer’s day).
Many club members are talented cycle mechanics and across the club we could furnish several cycle shop’s worth of tools to maintain and repair pretty much any issue with your bike. Club members are always generous with their time and being a club member is a great way of learning how to look after your steed.
It goes without saying the being a club member also gives you access to a wide range of club rides. At Insch our Thursday beginner rides are open to all-comers – you don’t need to be a club member but for the other club rides you do so membership gives access to Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday rides throughout the year designed for for different fitness levels; additionally, we provide a Time Trial summer series for all level of fitness. Riding with a club is a good way to learn useful road skills. It’s a bit circular, as they’re mostly the skills you need to ride in a group, such as warning of hazards and following a wheel, but anything that teaches you finer bike control is a good thing.
Insch CC is primarily focussed on enjoying social riding rather than performance racing (but there are clubs locally that provide that if it is your scene); we organise away trips and special events – last June we collectively ‘Everested’ the Suie and followed up with a BBQ and a beer or two.
Our Newsletter and various club WhatsApp groups provide means of sharing knowledge of a wide range of local cycling events, routes, road conditions and even information on fitness training and discount providers.
So in summary there are a number of benefits to joining a cycle club. Your particular interests will decide you on the particular club that fits you so have a look around, most clubs will let you ‘try before you buy’ and attend a club ride before joining.
Returners Rides will run throughout the year as long as the weather is suitable. Marc is leading this year. Departing Bennachie Leisure Centre at 0900 on Sundays, these rides will be slow paced and will start with short easy distances and a coffee/cake stop. The rides will be social but and are designed to build confidence and fitness to allow riders to progress to the faster groups if they wish to or to stay in the returners group if that is their wish.
Thanks to everyone who turned up to ride the inaugural Insch Audaxesin the beautiful late summmer sun on Saturday. We had 53 riders across the 2 events:
100 Km Half Insch
24 Signed up
3 x DNS
2 x DNF
200km Insch by Insch
29 Entries
3 x DNS
1 x DNF
All DNFs made it home safely
Particular thanks to all the club members and their partners who volunteered their time to help at checkpoints and to bake cakes and make sandwiches. These are just some of the comments we had:
‘Was a great day out with perfect weather!’
‘Terrific event Alan.’
‘Mostly ‘new roads for me, and many I am keen to come up for on the tandem for the weekend.’
‘I don’t mind the hills as much as some and surprised myself at feeling half decent at the end. The scenery was great and the harvesters were out in full force. I took a break at the foot of Suie climb – I enjoyed that climb in an audax way. QUiet roads, not even too many mental motorbikes on the lecht.’
‘As a fellow organiser, I was most impressed by the fayre on offer, and with the club banners, club stickers on the cards, the Insch CC peleton riding fast and smooth, and your helpers tee-shirt it was a great advert for your club.’
‘Just wanted to say thank you to all the volunteers involved in Saturday’s Audax.’
‘From the coffee and biscuits at the start, the perfect weather, a challenging route and especially the food at the arrivée, all combined for a brilliant day. A macaroni pie and coffee was just the ticket to fuel the short cycle home!’
‘Hope the club decide to hold an Audax next year.’
‘A fantastic route coupled with great weather and company made a brilliant day out.’
‘The hospitality at the end was very much appreciated.’
‘Thank you and the team for all your efforts. It was a fantastic day on the bike.’
‘Evelyn and I (on the 100km) would like to thank everyone involved for a great event. Its only our second Audax, but as older cyclists, the 100km is the perfect challenge for us to step up to from our usual 40mile tearoom routes (although pleased to say that we managed a tearoom stop at Chloe’s in Alford and still made the time limit).’
‘Speaking of food, we were blown away by the before and after refreshments and are grateful to the workers and bakers behind the scenes. Thanks to St Drostans too, a great venue.’
Some of my most memorable rides have been done in the rain, and most of these have also been type 1 rather than type 2 fun! So if it rains on RtN or Sportive day don’t be downhearted just be prepared here are some tips:
Wear a waterproof jacket
Wear a merino wool base layer for extra warmth. A great thing about Merino is that it stays warm even when wet
Wear a brimmed cap or Heaven Forfend an MTB Helmet to keep the rain out of your eyes.
Carry your phone in a waterproof container/bag
Cover your feet and hands. Waterproof gloves and cycling shoe covers are rainy-day cycling essentials. One tip for the feet is to put a plastic bag over your socks before putting your shoes on – if you don’t believe me then at least believe Jenny Graham
Visibility is reduced in heavy rain so consider wearing hi vis clothes and make sure your bike has front and rear lights.
Stay away from slippery surfaces such as manhole covers, cattle grids, painted lines etc, if you can’t avoid them slow down.
Don’t ride into puddles as you don’t know what lies beneath – Mark Beaumont’s world record 80 day cycle nearly ended early when he rode into a puddle that was in fact a huge pothole.
Brake carefully and don’t race; in particular go slower than normal going around corners
Make sure your bike is in good order before the ride. Make sure your tyres have plenty of life left (Ray!) in them and are inflated to the correct pressure – see this guide.
Carry a tool kit – see Stuarts advice from the Chat group earlier in the year
Lubricate your drivetrain with wet lube; on my 1st 300kkm audax I learned that lube can get washed off quickly in heavy rain or when going through a lot of surface water and the noise of your chain in this state is saddening as its life is shortened so I carry a small amount of lube in a sushi sauce bottle.
Fit mudguards or at least an Ass Saver
Have dry clothes ready to get into at the end of the ride
Wash and dry your bike at the earliest opportunity after your ride but only after you have sorted yourself out.
Insch CC’s TT on Wednesday was marred by scandal as 2 riders were given the same winning time. Fortunately video playback showed the correct order of finishing and results were corrected.
Insch Cycling Club 