What a Wonderful Club

[Vampirethebuffetslayer]

Going back 10 years or so I remember the Addiscombe being a pretty good club. Full of top Cyclo Cross riders on a national level. Alas these riders disappeared and the club began that typical cycling club slide.

Members were thin on the ground and the Addiscombe was going the way of a lot of the South London based clubs. No new members and very few competitive riders. I kinda forgot about the Addiscombe cycling club and went about my business.

So imagine my suprise when suddenly I hear about these club runs that are bigger than races! Where people are actually friendly and enjoying riding their bikes. On closer inspection I realise that the Addiscombe has turned itself around and is now without doubt the most progressive club in the country. And one with a great looking kit!

Some kind of paradise. Lot's of members, a great sociable club run (with Pro riders rolling around!!), a fantastic club night with organised talks... What more could you want from a club?

How did all this come about? What made the Addiscombe different from those other 'on the slide' South London Cycling Clubs? The drive of two people. Monty and Marco. That was the difference. People who saw how things should and could be. They devoted their time to making contacts, changing the old ways, designing a great website and brilliant forums (like this very one!). But most importantly they got members. Real bike riders. And more of them I possibly imagined possible. They made the Addiscombe into a 'riders' club. And now there are even magazine's singing the praises of this great club.

But with more members come new people. People who have a different view. They go on a few club runs and now they have a vision! Why make people members? Why not have a free open to all club run? Let's dilute the Addiscombe! We don't need to be members at all really? We'll just take advantage of what's on offer.

So now members don't re-new membership with the club and the numbers drop. The thriving group scene splinters. People form their own little groups. The club starts sliding again. Is that how it will end up?

For the price of £7 you can join as social member. Then you can put forward your views at the AGM. Instead of on a forum board. YOU can change the club. Make the Addiscombe the biggest club in the UK. Be a part of something huge and show the non-cycling world how great cycling is! Don't take the easy option sitting in front of your computer saying how it should be done, when you know YOU won't do anything productive to improve the club...

Monty - If you read this you have done a great job. The very best. People who organise and get things done are never appreciated. Pay no attention to relative newcomers trying to change your vision. Your vision has worked pretty well so far:)) Have a great holiday.

[JayneToyne]

YOUVE MISSED THE POINT COMPLETELY... go back back and read the beginning of the free speech thread.

its not about saying people shouldnt have to be a member of the club or any club, i think its great to be part of a club which has a solid financial backbone and a decent selection of members who do different things.

the point is how open we are to other people from other clubs and that we reduce this almost zen like fervour towards the club run and wearing the club strip like its a uniform.... the concentration on numbers and the seemingly unstoppable desperation to be number 1 club in the country in terms of membership numbers.

know the whole story before you jump in half-cocked

[Vampirethebuffetslayer]

I know the whole story inside out, back to front and upside down

If riders are so unhappy with their own club scene that they start to come on the Addiscombe club run, why shouldn't they be encouraged to join the club? I agree with Monty here. Let them try it and if they love it so much they can join, if not fully then 2nd claim or social. Is that too much to ask?

Cycling is a numbers game. Would you want to be in a club where 4 members turn up at the weekend? A club where there is no club night? Potential members are drawn to the club by the amount of active and like minded riders. I know a few members who have joined on the basis of the club run? The club run is the most popular part of the club. Hence the zen like fervour associated with it. I get excited every Saturday morning when I can go on the club run and ride my bike with my friends (friends who I have made since joining the club). Where else can I do this?

I cannot see what is wrong with trying to attract more members? It is the inclusion of people which will see the success of this club. How exactly is Monty's 'membership drive' harming the club?

Maybe you could let me know 'with a half cocked theory'

[Tashkent Terror]

Isn't the most successfull club the one which has the best results come end of racing season?

A 'cycling club' is one that puts it's emphasis on racing is it not?

Go join the CTC if you want to ride along at 15mph for 300 miles!

There are more than a few '6 member' clubs that put the ACC to shame come race day, so don't go claiming we're something we are not.

[Vampirethebuffetslayer]

Fair Point.

But I never claimed the Addiscombe was a racing team.

How many club members are actively racing? For every racer there must be almost 10 leisure riders who may decide to try their hand at racing. You have to cater for the masses. Not the chosen few. I'm sure the top racers in the club would love to share their knowledge to help those who are interested in taking their first steps towards races.

'Cycling club' by definition is a group of people who enjoy cycling. A racing club (such as the Freerider team) is just that. If you are an active racer at a standard where you think you have outgrown the club (and I doubt that) then go to the AGM and raise that very point. See if you and the club can go forward together.

I personally don't ride at much more than 15mph. Does this mean I should leave the Addiscombe and join the CTC? Was the Addiscombe ever designed to be a top level race team? No. It was not.

The success of a club is determined by it's members. The success of a team is detremined by race results. Don't confuse the two.

[TanMan]

Is the club a success? Success ? the accomplishment of an aim

Four years ago Monty and Marco set out to raise the club?s profile and increase members so all different abilities of riders would be attracted. Now being the second largest in the country, I think we can say Monty and Marco have succeeded.

But is success just about number of members? Don't cycling clubs put on races and encourage people to take part, I know we have Come and have a try evening 10's So why do non-racers seem so anti racing? An impression I've picked up from the forum.

At last years Surrey League Annual Dinner, Addiscombe was awarded the ?Most Successful Club Award? This was due to the increased number of racers taking part and winning events. Maybe not so many members are aware of this fact. Unfortunately this may not be repeated this year as two of the riders who contributed most to this have left, maybe an area we need to look into?

If people are going to criticise the club try to make it constructive, and if possible, include an alternative suggestion.
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[JayneToyne]

thats part of the point here, people who want to race have joined teams which will take them places, but most remain part of a club as well.
just so happens that when they go off to their new team they go off to a new club.

I like the social side to the club, not because its a club, but because i get to meet some nice people through it... and not always club members.

[Vampirethebuffetslayer]

Tan Man - I agree!

The numbers part is successful and so long as Monty and Marco keep on keepin' on - It shall remain so. The linear continuation of the club run is to try and compete in a small scale race. If they want to!!

Those who want to race need to have that 'easy entry' way in. The riders need to say what they want from the club and then the club has to try to cater for their needs. Not the other way round.

[TanMan]

Has anyone told Planet-X their season will be a failure? They only have Lovatt, Tanner and Dawson in their team! Smallest club in the country?

Sometimes quality is better than quanitity, they won the Premier Calendar and BBAR last year.

[richv]

What happened to the last team those 3 were a member of?

As a club there is a lot of encouragement for those who want to race and last year appears to have been a great success in terms of numbers of people racing. I can recall riding races with people who just came along to watch and had no intention of competing.

I suspect this year could be even better.

A true cycling club is unlikely to be able to compete with top teams. We are never going to offer the financial incentives top riders can get and they will inevitably move on to those teams that offer more. However it is interesting to note what happens to those teams, none appear to be particularly long lived.

As a club which encourages all levels of cycling from the non-competitive upwards I think ACC has got it just about right.

[Vampirethebuffetslayer]

But If I rolled up to them and asked if I could join their club, would they let me in?

I'll bet you £100 the Addiscombe is still a club long after Planet X has disolved and disappeared. So then who is successful? There is a wide and varied criteria!!! You cannot compare Planet X to the Addiscombe CC...

Well, not unless you count the pic in Cycling Weekly where they stood outside the Cafe. I've done that a few times on club runs!!

Is their kit really going to be black? Seems very dangerous to me!!

[Rob]

tjis arguement seems to be all ove rthe place and urm.....going nowhere!

maybe its time to quit, lol, im feeling tension in the forum!