Tips for starting a club?

[Lemonfizzy]

I've been wanting to join a cycling club for years but tend to find they're mostly dominated by aggressively riding men, who boast non-stop about gear/cycling achievements, and women members are usually lovely but training to race competitively, and are a bit too hardcore for me.

So thinking of starting my own (inclusive) local women's cycle club that's a bit more chilled, doing some long (not fast) rides near where I live.

Any tips for starting a club? I'm a bit of an introvert so advertising something like this is not my specialism! Also terrified nobody will turn up or like me/the club idea!

Just to clarify, the men at clubs have been friendly too! Just generally too fast/aggressive in cycling style for me!

Do you have a local cycle track near you? Might be worth asking there for some advice.

Or if you look on the MeetUp app, there may already be one. We have one near us.

Have you seen about Breeze? They are always looking for people to lead rides. (Or may even have a ride you can go on.) Means you would have British Cycling to help you.

https://www.letsride.co.uk/breeze

Also, if you look at the CTC, they have rides that can be more leisurely I believe. But if you want to set up your own ride, maybe approach them for advice too.

I'd start on MeetUp, that's where most start and if it doesn't work for you you can leave once established a bit and use something like Instagram instead for advertise ride dates and share photos.

If you want to avoid it becoming too competitive I'd advise being on top of that from the off. Having an agreement that you'll perhaps have a break point to wait for slower people, or you personally will bring up the rear. Otherwise competitive people take over these groups and it becomes infectious.

I know two running groups locally that started with the aim of being friendly and about fun rather than times. One does things like I mentioned where they wait or go slower, the other divided into streams of different speeds. The first group attracts and retains a more diverse group whilst the second has been taken over by speedy serious types and newbies never stick with it. It's still a good fun group but it doesn't meet what it advertises itself as.

https://www.cyclinguk.org/community-cycle-clubs

@papayabread Yeah that's something I'm afraid of happening, it getting essentially taken over by people more overbearing than me and the group becoming something else.

The fact that your worried people won't like you means you will put your all on and they will like you!

If your not good at admin get someone who is if there will be fees

Start a website or Facebook page
About the club

Set out a timetable on a calendar

Put a pic of yourself with a little thing about who you are and what you want to achieve ! Like you have done on your POST here but maybe more PC (everyone gets offended by everything these days)

If there are fees explain what it's for such as insurance

Could even show routes on google maps on your page so people get an idea of where they will be going each session

I don't know where in the world you are but as it's for fun perhaps you could do more scenic rides and have that as the USP. And show where they are are the tour maps. Even have stopping points maybe ?

You could go as far as having club t shirts - very cheap ones like for £5 and then other merchandise but of course that's for the future

Could make a playlist that fits the route that you could send to attendees beforehand so you have the same music to listen to while you go - course this is dependant as some people won't want music due to safety etc and others would just want their own

Send out a weekly newsletter - probably best online these days just a quick post saying ' well done everyone this week, we did 'X' route it was amazing please add your pics that you have taken on this route and tag the club

Rider of the week - could be someone who's gone further than usual or faster or even someone who's confidence has been good that week or was encouraging other people up

Welcome rider of the week - put a post up ( with their permission) welcoming them to the club for newbies

Have a WhatsApp group once you all get to know eachother

Arrange a meal out every 4 months or so

Once you get a group together could even think of a tour away once a year for fun and raise money for a charity or one of the riders kids school or something

Promote your club and yourself on tik tok and Instagram aswel as Facebook

Maybe make flyers for local shops etc

Wish you luck

I'd worry about the same, it's not an easy thing!

I'd hope if you start as you mean to go on it wouldn't be a good fit for the people who might try and take it over, and they'd leave for something else before they got comfortable enough.

You could even have another more speed-focussed group in mind to partner with that people could 'graduate' to if they fancied? So it's all upfront from the start and not like people getting chucked out, but establishes your purpose and their options.

Ooh whereabouts are you op? I would love to join a club like this!

My advice would be to start it and keep running it. The consistency will bring you members. Third meet is usually the worst attended, sixth the biggest someone said to me. Keep going last six and you have a club. Maybe make it for a season? Then you can review and change things.