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I know there was previous thread on this but it was a few years back and ended up with an argument about Edinburgh Road Club!
I'd always been sceptical about clubs but when I was in London I found a great one local to me (London/Essex border) and really enjoyed their rides - sometimes going out with their bronze group (social ride - 12mph average, usually 40 to 60 miles) or silver (similar distances but 15-16mph average). Now I've moved back to Edinburgh and am riding again what's the score with clubs? West side of the city would be preferable (I'm in Balerno). It'd be nice if they had a MTB group as well but it'd be mainly road I'd be interested in. Social riding mainly but might do the odd TT for fun.
So anyone in a good Edinburgh club and what are the options?
Obviously this would be post-Covid but it'll take me a while to get my fitness back to an acceptable level anyway!
Ronde Pretty laid back, loads of groups / levels
ERC
Well known as you say. From development to psychotic.
https://edinburghrc.co.uk/
Portovelo Very like Ronde
Musselburgh Road Cycling Club Best of the bunch imo
Oh that sort of club....I guess mentioning the pubic triangle won’t be what you are after.
Different standard now that you're back up north Steve. The U8s go out at 12mph avg.
RondeCC. Meets at Gamma in Stockbridge Sat leave between 9-9:30; five different rides/speeds.
I used to be the Ride Captain, ride in the 19mph+ ish group.
Little MTB, some CX, some crits, a little ITT, etc. There's more serious racing and more ITT at ERC, some fast folk
I went riding once with ronde. Nice enough bunch but as the group meets in centre of town it felt like 40 min of the ride were spend getting in and out of the city.
If I was in balerno I'd be looking at West Lothian clarion. Seen then out a few times round the west Lothian area. Some great riding out that neck of the woods.
If your in Balerno then perhaps Fietsclub Balerno would be a good bet?
Always found it weird that the east coast generally has a handful of massive clubs (ERC, Deeside etc) while on the west it's a million smaller ones.
Plenty MTB racers in ERC, but as tpbiker suggests West Lothian might be worth looking at. They're a really nice club, run by a smashing group of people.
The Ronde kit's nice though!
I would always say go out for ride with different clubs, have a chat to people, and pick one you like.
I've been an ERC member for over 20 years now. They were easily the most forward looking and progressive of the local clubs when I moved to Edinburgh, and have always had a really good core of volunteers developing the club in the years I have been a member. The club has done some really hard work building junior participation (from the bad old days when Scottish juniors were almost an endangered species) they have made a point of encouraging female membership, and they organise a lot of local events. It's such a big club you will find people who are involved in every aspect of the sport (at all levels); track, MTB, road, TT, triathlon, Audax and just social riding. I joined because they were a friendly bunch of people who enjoyed having a laugh and riding their bikes. I'm not so closely involved these days, but I was out marshalling at the big Gifford road race earlier this year, and ERC is still doing great things as a proper grass roots cycling club.
But as I say, don't listen to people on the internet (including me). There are other clubs in Edinburgh doing good stuff, so try out a few clubs and join the one you feel comfortable with.
I'm not a joiner, but ERC are alright - worth a go.
Steve, check out the Dalmeny 8:01, they are strenuously insistent that they are not a club, but nonetheless have a regular weekend ride (8:01 from Dalmeny Station) typically over the bridge or out towards Linlithgow, Avonbridge etc.
4-5hr rides, 25km/h sort of standard, religiously including a decent length coffee stop (unfortunately the main reason I don't go on many of the rides, I can't spare the time to sit and enjoy a second breakfast!).
Good lads (and ladies) all round.
Only draw back is the 45 minutes to and from Balerno. Nice enough roads but an extra hour and a half added to every ride!
Erc got me started great club.
Does it have to be a road beasting or would a social ride on trails suffice? There are enough of us in Balerno or Currie (I actually feel we’re disproportionately represented here) to just go trail bashing without Lycra or a dress code.
I think the only club I've seen with a "dress code" was Rapha CC. I did once encounter a bunch of them in perfectly matched kit (even down to the socks!).
I've done a lot of social club riding over the years (on and off road) and I have to say that clothing is not usually a popular topic of discussion...
Fietsclub could be best option, PM me and I can add you to the WhatsApp group. Rides start from BHS and nice bunch, usually splits into hitters and non hitters ! Equally a lot of us I. The general area, I’m in Colinton.
Does it have to be a road beasting or would a social ride on trails suffice? There are enough of us in Balerno or Currie (I actually feel we’re disproportionately represented here) to just go trail bashing without Lycra or a dress code.
Social rides are my preference - even with the club I was with in London I'd stay clear of the non-stop fast rides (not that I'd have kept up anyway)! They had club kit but it was by no means mandatory to have it or wear it on the rides (I sometimes did and sometimes didn't).
Really I'm just looking for a group to do the occasional (monthly in my case probably) 100km or so social road ride with, at a relaxed pace. Ideally where I'll ride to the start point rather than driving. Ronde sounds the best proper club option from that point of view and they sound decent (and their kit does look good!).
I'm out at Cramond, and there's a very informal Facebook group that I'm part of - Cramond and Cammo Cycling Crew. Head out from Cramond Brig 8am on a Sunday. Two Bridges and up by Beecraigs, and over Cleish to Loch Leven in Fife are standard rides. But quite mixed/steady group as opposed to anything fast!
You'd be very welcome any time.
Fraser