Loop has morphed from a small group of like-minded people going out for a ride on a Sunday morning, to 4 groups a week, trips, intro rides, over 50 different people doing our rides this year (and that’s through the various lock downs), and we’ve even got club jerseys (soon to be updated!). So, making sure riders get what they want from the club is really important and helps us plan for the coming year.

So on to the results.

The good news is people like the club the way it is. It’s welcoming, caters for the different speeds and distances that people want to ride, and provides a friendly, not too disciplined group for people to join on a Sunday morning, isn’t too formal, the trips are great (who doesn’t like a cycling trip away) and the voluntary contribution is good value for money.

So, what does this all mean? As we continue to attract new members, and the group gets bigger, it takes more organisation, responsibility, and a bit more cash to keep it safe and operating for everyone. Things like the trips are oversubscribed from the start, and it becomes difficult to find ride leaders each week to look after groups.

It’s worth also mentioning club insurance and being clear on what this provides. It covers us all for third party accidents so that if you hit someone or damage someone else’s property, it covers you for the damages. It doesn’t cover you or your bike, so worth thinking about your own personal cover for that.

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/membership

So we’re proposing a few small changes. Paying a contribution of £20 makes you a “Friend of Loop” and gives you access to a friend’s area on the website where you can download the route library, get discounts on products and servicing and access to one-off rides that will happen throughout the year (plus an extra bidon as I think Gav has a cupboard full to shift!!). As you ride regularly, you’ll get advance notice of trips so those that are putting a bit more into the club, get a bit more out of it.

We’ll also look to get the ride leaders first aid trained through the British Cycling Ride Leaders courses to make sure we all stay safe out on the road. It doesn’t happen very often, but the more miles we all do, we’ll inevitably have a few spills along the way.

We’ll also be doing more intro rides to get more people cycling regularly and enjoying the roads as much as we all do.

We hope that all works for you and that the changes make sense. To be honest, you shouldn’t see a change unless you want to put a bit more into the club. It’s difficult to keep a low-key club like Loop true to its philosophy of being a great way to meet like-minded people, go for a bike ride that suits your ability, and offers everyone the chance to turn up when they want and cycle. Look out for updates later in the week. We’ll bring the card machine to Sunday rides too and as it’s never nice chasing people for contributions, if you could offer you’d be a friend indeed!!

Chapeau 
Loop