| What is a club run? The history of the club run dates back to the fifties or even earlier when large groups of cyclists would head for the English countryside on a Sunday (often the only day off work in those days) and a social stop at either, a pub, cafe?, or possibly both was nearly always included. This traditional outing has not changed much since those early days and the traditional cafe stop is still on the agenda. It is much appreciated on a cold winter’s day, when those participating will reminisce about previous season’s races, cyclo-sportives or even the planning of participating in events for the year ahead can be discussed in a cosy tea room over a cuppa and a piece of home made cake. In the summer, cafes with outside garden seating are very popular.  South Western Road Club’s club run has migrated from the historical Sunday and has now become a regular Saturday fixture in our calendar. There is one every Saturday and, even in the most inhospitable weather, you are still likely to find a hardy few out on the road. Many is the time you can find cycling jerseys or gloves hung out to dry by a convenient radiator in one of the many cycle friendly tea rooms. The popularity of the SWRC club run is such that we have had now split into four groups to prevent us being too much of a nuisance for other road users and for safety’s sake. Attendance on our rides is currently around the 40 to 30 mark split fairly equally across all the groups. The four groups, A,B,C,D aim for average speeds of 20,18,16 & 14 mph on a flat route. |
Newcomers are strongly advised to start out with either the C or D group for the first few rides. This will enable them to master the rudiments of cycling in a close group and ‘holding a wheel’, without the extra pressure of trying to maintain a higher pace and thus being a danger to themselves and the other riders.  We publish a full list of club run destinations a few months ahead and, with a few exceptions for special events, you will find that we set off from the public car park in Cobham Surrey, apart from the first Saturday each month when the meeting point is Betchworth This, once a month, Betchworth meet enables us to include a few favourite destinations further to the east. Our rides take us to such destinations as Amberley in Sussex, Westerham in Kent and Seale in Surrey to name but a few. The club runs depart promptly at 9.30am. Follow this link to see a copy of the current club runs list. Follow this link for a few tips that will help you enjoy and get the most out of the club run: Club run tips |
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