Riding with Sotonia
If you are new to the club and would like to join one of our rides, please see below details of all our group rides. To join either of the WhatsApp groups or to be added to the Social group’s mailing list please email membership@sotonia.co.uk for details.
Finding us
Sunday and Wednesday club runs leave from the precinct in front of the Fleming Avenue Shopping Parade in North Baddesley, SO52 9EN. What3words.com location ///corporate.singers.awake
Sotonia Cycling Club cannot be held responsible for any personal injury, accident, loss, damage or public liability and you participate in the Club’s activities entirely at your own risk. Anyone attending Sotonia CC activities, including club runs, must carry identification, emergency contact details and details of any medical or health conditions together with information about any medication that they are taking.
Sunday Club Ride
We have a variety of ‘no drop’ Sunday club rides at various paces, normally including a mid-ride café stop, leaving every Sunday morning from the precinct in front of the Fleming Avenue arcade of shops in North Baddesley, SO52 9EN (for ALL Groups). What3words.com location ///corporate.singers.awake
Tools, spare inner tube, pump and suitable clothing for the conditions are recommended. Wearing a helmet is required by all riders. Please ensure your bike is roadworthy before coming to meet us in North Baddesley. When joining a ride for the first time please make yourself known to the groups ride leader. Please see group details below:
17-19 mph average
Start: Sunday 9:00am (Fleming Avenue)
Distance: 60+ miles
This group communicates though a WhatsApp group “Sotonia 17+mph” providing details of route (via a gpx file), café stop, ride leader, and any weather impacts
14-16 mph average
Start: Sunday 9:00am (Fleming Avenue)
Distance: 40-50 miles
This group communicates through a WhatsApp group “Sotonia 14-16mph” providing details of route (via a gpx file), café stop, ride leader, and any weather impacts
12-14 mph average
Start: Sunday 9:30am (Fleming Avenue)
Distance: 30-40 miles
This group communicates though a WhatsApp group “Sotonia 12-14mph” providing details of route (via a gpx file), café stop, ride leader, and any weather impacts. Café stop is sometimes coordinated with the “easy” group.
Social Group
Start: Sunday 9:30am (Fleming Avenue)
Speed: 10-12 mph or according to ability
Distance: up to 30 miles
This group communicates through email providing details of café stop, ride leader, and any weather impacts. Members should email membership@sotonia.co.uk to be added to the Social Group emails.
Wednesday Wheelers Group Ride
Our Wednesday Wheeler club rides are ‘no drop’ social rides usually with a mid-ride café stop, leaving every Wednesday morning from the Fleming Avenue precinct in North Baddesley, SO52 9EN. Wearing a helmet is required by all riders. Tools, spare inner tube, suitable clothing for the conditions and pump are recommended. When joining a ride for the first time please make yourself known to the groups ride leader. There are usually three groups riding, all starting @ 10:00 am
Sotonia 14-17mph group
Distance 50+ miles
This group communicates via the Wednesday Wheelers WhatsApp group providing details of route (via a gpx file), café stop, ride leader, and any weather impacts
Sotonia 12 – 14mph group
Distances 30 – 40 miles, depending on conditions, and sometimes coordinates café stop with the Social group. Communication is via the Sotonia 12 – 14 mph WhatsApp group providing details of route (via a gpx file), café stop, ride leader, and any weather impacts.
Sotonia Social group
Speeds 10-12 mph or according to ability. Distance up to 30 miles This group communicates via email providing details of café stop, ride leader, and any weather impacts.
Women’s Group Rides
The Sotonia Women’s group is aimed at encouraging more women to cycle and join us. We’re a really friendly bunch of all abilities and ages. Whether riding virtually with our Zwift teams or social rides (with cake stops of course!) in the real world, we offer a wide range of opportunities to get together – with all the support and advice you need, available through our Facebook groups.
A women’s only group ride is organised at irregular times by Committee member Gemma Wilks. Women members can join the Sotonia Women’s WhatsApp group on request where women’s rides and other activities are posted.
It is each rider’s responsibility to ensure the group leader has a note of their name and details before moving off – this is important for insurance purposes as it identifies new riders. Those under 18 years attending their first clubrun should complete the Sotonia New Rider Introduction Form which includes a Parental Consent Form.
Sotonia Cycling Club cannot be held responsible for any personal injury, accident, loss, damage or public liability and you participate in the Club’s activities entirely at your own risk. Anyone attending Sotonia CC activities, including club runs, must carry identification, emergency contact details and details of any medical or health conditions together with information about any medication that they are taking.
- When riding in your group you must remain constantly aware of those around you and remember that your movements in a group affect everyone. Keep a consistent speed with the riders in front of you. If the pace slows, try to soak up the distance between you and the rider in front by freewheeling rather than braking hard.
- Keep your eyes on the road ahead rather than the riders themselves, and try to anticipate any changes in the riding pattern. Point out and call if you see, pot holes, traffic, parked cars, horses and anything else that you would want to know about. Also warn others before turning left or right.
- Riders towards the rear of the group should also be attentive to approaching traffic from behind making others in the group aware when appropriate. The usual call is “car up” if a vehicle is coming from behind and “car down” when from in front. It is essential that the warning is passed along the group so that riders at the front/rear can hear it.
- No-one, should be dropped from the group or left unaccounted for. However, if you chose to ride with a fast group and the pace is too quick for you, then do not always expect the group to wait. Keep your fellow group members informed if you decide to leave the group for any reason or have a mechanical problem and need to stop. Experienced riders in the group will generally try to ensure that everyone is accounted for at regular intervals. However, this is sometimes difficult so you should make sure that if you get detached from the group you know where you are going and/or know your way back home. It is a good idea to carry a map or some sort of satellite navigation system.
- Show consideration to other road users. In order to allow vehicles to pass, the group should ride as a single unit with riders keeping to no more than two abreast.
- If it becomes necessary to ride in single file, gaps should be left to allow vehicles to overtake more easily. When singling from two abreast, the outside rider should ease off to fall in behind the rider on the inside.
- The group should slow down and announce their presence when passing horses and should not make any noise or sudden movements that would be likely to unsettle the animal. Equal care should be taken when passing other animals.
- Maintain an even pace – if you are riding next to someone, be aware of your relationship to his or her front wheel. Constantly upping the pace when the rider draws level with you (known as ‘half-wheeling’) is rude and disruptive. Please don’t be tempted to race off at the front, this merely breaks up the group.
- The groups should always reform if they split, for example on hills or at road junctions. Climbing hills is often best achieved by individuals choosing their own pace, when this occurs the group will reform at the top. If it becomes necessary for the group to stop, a safe place should be sought to avoid inconvenience to others.
- Finally, as already mentioned above, it is essential that riders;
- (a) know where they are going, and
- (b) if they get unhitched from the group for any reason they have the ability to find their own way home or to the tea stop. A sat nav can be useful for this.
We hope these few rules have been helpful and that you enjoy riding with Sotonia and will apply to join the club in due course.
Equipment
Your bike needs to be serviceable – It should go without saying that if you are riding on a public highway your bike needs to be in good working order and comply with the Highway Code. So long as it is mechanically sound, it fits you and the tyres are in good condition and fully inflated, then you should be able to enjoy your cycling. Bring a couple of spare inner-tubes (to fit your bike!), tyre levers and a pump so that you can quickly sort out a puncture and continue riding with minimal delay.
Mudguards: it is considered polite to fit mudguards to your bike when the roads are wet to avoid spraying your fellow riders.
Sensible clothing
It has to be said that cycling-specific gear can make a huge difference to comfort and can reduce fatigue, but for the short easy rides it is not essential. Dress in suitable sports gear according to the weather conditions, especially in the colder months. It is also advisable to carry a lightweight rain jacket which can double up as an extra layer in cold conditions. A cycle helmet is compulsory.
Drink
Maintaining the body’s hydration is important in any endurance sport and it is essential that you carry appropriate amounts of fluids. Allow around 750-1000ml of a water-based drink for every two hours of riding.
Food
It is always a good idea to bring a bite to eat, even on short rides. Hunger or a drop in blood sugar levels soon accelerates the feelings of fatigue. Bring a couple of energy bars, cereal bars or bananas for a two hour ride and more for longer rides.