Gosforth Road Club has an active Go-Ride Section.
We provide regular cycle coaching sessions
Venue
Exhibition Park, Claremont Road, Newcastle - Boathouse by the lake - Directions
Time
Saturday mornings 9:45-10:45 during school term time
Who can come?
Young people of all ages are welcome, however they must be able to ride a bike without stablizers. This is a stipulation of our coaches' qualifiactions from British cycling.
We split riders into groups based on ability and the sort of bike they come on. We have 16yr olds in lycra on sleek road bikes, tots who've just managed to ride around the block, muddy teens in baggy pants on MTBs, and everything in between.
Please note: We don't have a lower age limit however children need to have a reasonable attention span and the ability to co-operate with the coach. If a child is not able to understand or co-operate with the coach, and as a result the coach feels they are not able to supervise the group adequately or achieve the goals of the coaching session, then we occaisionally ask that children defer coming until they are a little more mature. There can be upto 15 children per coach and if the coach has to dedicate all their time to one child it's not fair on all the others. Having said that we hardly ever send anyone away as our aim is to encourage as many children as possible to develop a love of cycling and improve their skills and confidence on a bike.
What do I need to bring?
- Any bike in good working order with 2 brakes
- Helmet
- Drink
- Dress for the weather
Cost
Membership is FREE but we charge £15 per term (or £2 per session) which goes into club funds.
We also insist that Go-Riders join British Cycling and bring their membership cards to every session.
The sessions are run by British Cycling trained coaches. They are mostly skills based with an emphasis on having fun. Depending on the age/ability of the riders the sessions may be split.
Rides
First Saturday of the month - those riders who are over 12 and have road bikes are welcome to ride out with the club. We will ride for approx 40miles with a cafe stop half way and are back for about 1pm. Before riders can come on these they need to have attended a few Saturday morning coaching sessions in the park so that the coaches can assess their riding.
Third Sunday of the month - again for those riders 12 and over with road bikes and a similar format to the 'First Saturday' rides
Holiday Wednesdays - we have an organised ride on most Wednesdays during school holidays. These alternate between road and MTB rides.
Family Rides - about 2-3 times a year we organise a family ride for all ages. This is usually traffic-free and about 20miles with a stop for a snack or picnic.
We also hold a Best All Rounder competition each year for club members, with trophies for male and female U16 and U12.
We get involved in other club activities such as the annual club Hill Climb and trips to Manchester Velodrome. We also hold our own activities such as our Christmas Party and trips to mountain bike trail centres.
