bike events in the area?

[fiskaroo]

does anyone know of any cycling events going on, anyone got a group together to go out at the weekends?

[Asset]

Dulwich Paragons - think they have a website

[lenk]

what kind of bike do you ride?

www.londonfgss.com if you ride fixed or single.

If you ride 'normal' then would recommend http://www.bikeforums.net/ for hooking up with likeminded types in London...

[louisiana]

Check out Southwark Cyclists (affiliated to LCC) website. Very active group. They have trips every week and sometimes several. Other local LCC groups (e.g. Lewisham and Greenwich) also do stuff and have websites.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Welcome back Fiscaroo by the way.

[team_zissou]

Dulwich Paragon..http://www.dulwichparagon.com/

[louisiana]

http://www.southwarkcyclists.org.uk/social.shtml#now

Around 8-10 events per month, including Saturdays and Sundays.

They also help organise Dunwich Dynamo, a rather crazy overnight event

http://www.southwarkcyclists.org.uk/social/dunwichfaqs08.shtml

Then there's

Greenwich

and Lewisham

Dulwich Paragons are not people I would ride with. Too much into uniforms and racing. I prefer to tour, stop at the pub and wear what I want.

[Sandperson]

Hey! I'm a Paragonista! We are not all uniforms and racing at all. I go out regularly on a saturday morning with the club and we get people of all ages, standards and abilities. People on hybrids, folding bikes and MTBs. People in the club organise track racing and training, fun off road rides and lots of road cycling. Louisiana you should come out with us you might be suprised...

[louisiana]

No doubt it does. But the club's own website - I've just checked - says it's 'main interests are training and racing' while the chairman's review of the year is full of pictures of young men in 'club kit' (and no others at all). Primary menu categories include 'reports and results' (of rances etc.) and 'entry forms' (for races?). Ordinary cyclists can find all this a little off-putting.

Perhaps time to change that public face if it no longer fairly reflects current activities?

[fiskaroo]

great guys thanks for all your suggestions. Will be in the saddle sortly!

[Sandperson]

If you look at the site properly you will also see this Louisiana:

If you have a look through these pages and the forum you will see that we are a pretty active club, consisting of several hundred members. At one end of the spectrum many just ride for the sheer pleasure of being out on a bike in good company and we pride ourselves on being a great resource for anyone who wants to take a step up in their cycling to ride in a group or get a bit fitter.

We aren't a club full of racers, I haven't raced in years. Please don't give people the wrong impression of us.

[louisiana]

'Properly'?

Do you mean going through every possible page on the site?

I took a sample of twelve pages on the site, and have yet to come across the text you mention (and I'm not a technophobe: I develop websites for large multinational organisations).

My view was also influenced by reports of people who have been to - one - of your events, and I had also read an informal report in a 2008 edition of London Cyclist magazine of one of your outings.

It's really up to the club what public impression it gives, not me.

[PinarelloFan]

To be fair to the Paragon, of which I am a member, and Sandperson, the Dulwich Paragon is a pretty easy going and inclusive cycling club. The club's regular Saturday Morning Rides, in particular, are relaxed affairs.

From the Paragon website - About Us/What We Do:

"We are a pretty active club, consisting of several hundred members. At one end of the spectrum many just ride for the sheer pleasure of being out on a bike in good company and we pride ourselves on being a great resource for anyone who wants to take a step up in their cycling to ride in a group or get a bit fitter. At the other end, we have over 40 BC racing licence holders."

And from the Club Rides/Saturday Ride section of the website:

"This ride is very sociable and aimed at road cyclists just getting into group riding, (and) those looking for something fairly gentle... Non-members are welcome to come along and have a few taster rides with us to see what we are like."

The Paragon also organises an annual charity ride - The Ride of the Falling Leaves - the proceeds of which go to The Lavender Trust which is a charity for younger women with cancer.

Agreed. The website could be better laid out. And we tend not to stop off at pubs. (At least during rides. Afterwards is another matter entirely.)

[team_zissou]

The Dunwich Dynamo is well worth ago! 120 miles at night... I did this last year, the weather was great and the best bunch of people to ride with you could hope for! You don't have to be mega fit for this but does need a little training before..

[Sandperson]

louisiana Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> 'Properly'?

>

> Do you mean going through every possible page on

> the site?

>

> I took a sample of twelve pages on the site, and

> have yet to come across the text you mention (and

> I'm not a technophobe: I develop websites for

> large multinational organisations).

>

> My view was also influenced by reports of people

> who have been to - one - of your events, and I had

> also read an informal report in a 2008 edition of

> London Cyclist magazine of one of your outings.

>

> It's really up to the club what public impression

> it gives, not me.

So, you went through twelve pages and didn't click on the About us > What we do. Well, forgive me but I think that's a bit obtuse of you. I'm not sure what we did to offend you and your fiends but I hope you get over it. We do stop for cake sometimes!

[[email protected]]

I second Mr Sandperson, DP caters for all sorts of riders, and their Sat/Sun rides are renowned social events. Racers will sometimes turn up in their 'strip', but usually just to be social, or for what is for them, a recovery ride.

The all-out racers do ride at full-speed, but mostly on Tues/Thurs nights (heading out from Elmers End roundabout). There is an in-between level training ride on Weds nights.

Aside from these five regular rides, there are lots of impromptu rides - usually posted up on the forum at http://www.dulwichparagon.com. If you post up an idea for a ride, there a good chance you find one or more to ride with.

R.