Frequently Asked Questions

Our club is open to anyone over 18 years old with some cycling experience who can maintain a reasonable pace on the road.

Please refer to our Group Pace page to see which group might suit your current cycling abilities and fitness level.

Currently, we welcome members who are equivalent or have the fitness level to ride in our G3 G4 G5 and G6 groups, as these are our most active groups.

G1 and G2 rides are not very regular at the moment, since a lot of members have moved up to higher groups. We'll do our best to accommodate you as soon as rides become available.

No. Surrey Cycling Club is a private members' club. You cannot just turn up to our rides.

To participate, you must submit our Application Form first.

During the application process, you can choose to either:

• Become a Full Member - Pay the annual membership fee and start riding immediately, or
• Request a Demo Ride - Wait to be invited to a suitable Demo Ride based on your selected group

Once you submit your application, you'll receive an email with all the details, including your account information and next steps.

Important: Uninvited riders will be turned away from all rides. This policy ensures the safety and organisation of our club activities.

Full Membership: Complete our Application Form and pay the £49 annual membership fee. You'll receive an email with your account login details, club rules, and everything you need to start riding.

Demo Ride Option: If you'd like to try before you commit, you can request a Demo Ride through our Application Form. You'll be invited to a suitable ride based on your selected group preference. You can attend up to 2 demo rides before being asked to join as a Full Member. However, you can Become a Full Member at any time - you don't need to complete both demos first.

As a Full Member, you get:

• Access to all Club Rides and Social Rides
• Access to our private Strava Club (where all rides are posted)
• WhatsApp groups for ride updates and community chat
• Zwift Club membership for indoor training
• Member discounts from partner brands
• Access to professional coaching sessions

Your membership is valid for 12 months from the date of joining.

Renewal Reminders: We'll send you several reminder emails before your membership expires:

• 30 days before expiry
• 7 days before expiry

Good News: You can renew or extend your membership at any time without losing your original membership date. Simply visit your membership portal whenever convenient.

Invitation Process:

• After submitting your Demo Ride Request, we'll invite you to a suitable ride in your selected group (subject to availability).
• Each ride is limited to 8,10 or 12 riders total maximum, inc. up to 2 demo riders per ride.
• You'll receive an invitation email with full ride details - you must RSVP to secure your spot.
• Invitations are confirmed first-come, first-served.
• Once confirmed, you'll receive a Pre-Ride Briefing email with everything you need to know.

What to bring:

• A road bike in good mechanical condition (no hybrids, mountain bikes, or city bikes)
• A helmet (mandatory - no helmet, no ride)
• At least one water bottle (two for longer rides)
• Basic repair kit (spare tube, pump, tyre levers)
• Appropriate cycling clothing for the weather
• Mobile phone for emergencies

Important: Arrive 15-20 minutes early. The group leaves promptly at the designated time. You can attend up to 2 demo rides before being asked to Become a Full Member.

Club rides take place every weekend (Saturdays and Sundays). We also organise additional rides during the week, evenings, and on Bank Holidays.

Important: Surrey Cycling Club is a private club. All ride details are posted on our Strava Club, but you must be a registered member to see and join rides. Once you're a member, you'll have full access to view all upcoming rides, routes, distances, elevations, and meeting points.

Yes, but you have time. All members are expected to wear our Club Jersey or Gilet during spring and summer rides.

Grace Period: New members have 3 months from joining to purchase their Club Kit.

Winter Relaxed Rules: During winter months, our club rules are relaxed - wear whatever keeps you warm and safe. However, wearing a Club Gilet or our Winter Kit is recommended and welcome! We have over 40 kit products in our shop covering summer, winter, and everything in between.

Our club rides take place every weekend, but we also have other types of rides during the week, evenings, and Bank Holidays.

Check our Ride Schedule page for more details about upcoming rides.

Our primary meeting point is located in Weybridge, Surrey at the Hand and Spear Pub.

Address: Old Heath Rd, KT13 8TX, Weybridge

Important: All newcomers must submit an Application Form before arriving at the meeting point. If you turn up without prior registration, we will have to send you away. This policy ensures proper organisation and safety for all our rides.

Occasionally, we may use alternative meeting points for specific rides. Always check the ride details on our Strava Club before heading out.

The distance and duration will vary based on the group you join, but anywhere between 60-120km is our typical club ride distance.

Ride time will vary between 2-6 hours depending on the group pace, route profile, and whether the ride includes a coffee stop.

For specific details about each group's typical distances, pace, and elevation, please visit our Groups page.

Our cruising speeds vary depending on the group you join, ranging from approximately 22 km/h to 32+ km/h on flat and rolling terrain.

Please visit our Groups page for detailed information about each group's pace expectations.

No, Surrey Cycling Club is a private members' club. We require all new members to complete our Application Form.

This single form allows you to either join immediately as a Full Member or request up to two Demo Rides to experience our club firsthand before committing.

If you're an experienced rider and confident about joining, you can become a Full Member right away and join us on our next club ride!

Yes, absolutely! Surrey Cycling Club is a pure road cycling club, and we expect everyone to be on a proper road bike.

Your road bike must have drop handlebars (hoods), gears, and road tyres. It should be in fully mechanical order and well-maintained, with properly functioning brakes and gears.

We do NOT accept: TT bikes (time trial bikes), hybrid bikes, mountain bikes, or family bikes. These are not suitable for group road cycling and cannot maintain the pace and handling required for our club rides.

Your membership is valid for 12 months from the date you join, NOT from January to December.

For example, if you join on March 15th, your membership will be valid until March 14th of the following year. You will receive reminder emails when it's time to renew.

Yes, club kit is required! Wearing our Club Jersey or Vest is essential for all club rides, trips, events, holidays, and especially during spring and summer rides.

We expect all members to order and wear our club kit within three months of joining. This fosters a unified image and enhances the club's reputation while creating a strong sense of belonging.

In autumn and winter, we relax the requirements as we prioritise warmth and comfort. During these colder months, feel free to wear whatever keeps you warm. However, you're welcome to purchase our winter kit and fly in SCC colours all year round!

Check out our Club Kit page to see our full range of designs and winter options.

Always carry suitable clothing for the weather, money, food, drinks, a tool kit which includes at least one spare tube, tyre levers, a pump or CO2 inflator, and a helmet.

Most importantly, bring a positive attitude and willingness to help fellow riders!

Not at the moment. We're currently a road cycling club, though we may test gravel rides internally in the future.

For now, our focus remains on road cycling across Surrey's beautiful roads.

Our members have access to multiple communication channels:

• Strava Club - For ride scheduling and route information
• WhatsApp Community Groups - For quick updates and chat
• Facebook Group - For social interaction and photos
• Discord - For general club discussions

You'll receive access details to all these platforms once you become a member.

Yes! Our calendar is filled with exciting trips and events throughout the year.

We organise cycling trips to destinations like the Isle of Wight and New Forest, annual trips to the French Alps where you can tackle epic Tour de France climbs, host development days at Hillingdon Circuit, and run social events including summer barbecues and our Christmas gathering.

Our cycling holidays take you to some of the most iconic climbs in Europe, giving you the chance to ride legendary routes and experience the thrill of conquering famous mountain passes.

Members also enjoy priority access to cycling trips and special events.

Yes! We offer professional coaching sessions with Lizi Brooke and Joe Staunton.

During autumn and winter, we also run weekly Zwift coaching sessions with Lizi to help members maintain and improve their fitness during the darker months.

Additionally, our experienced riders are always happy to provide tips and advice to help you improve.

Absolutely! Our Race Team, formed in 2024, supports members competing in local and national events.

If you're keen to race for us in Category 4, 3, 2, or Time Trials, we have a supportive team ready to help you shine. Learn more on our Race Team page.

Members enjoy a wide range of exclusive benefits including discounts with reputable brands, priority access to cycling trips and special events, rewards programme for your annual contribution, access to professional coaching sessions, development days at Hillingdon Circuit, and much more.

If you are a member, log in to our Club Benefits area to view all available discounts and offers.

You'll also gain access to WhatsApp, Facebook, Discord, Strava Club, and a comprehensive library of over 100 tested routes across Surrey.

For any enquiries:

• Email us at hello@surreycyclingclub.co.uk
• Call us at 01932 645 465

Don't worry! We have friendly members and experienced Ride Captains who will help you get used to group riding and etiquette.

They will guide you and help you feel comfortable in the group. We also provide pre-ride briefings to ensure everyone understands group riding protocols and safety expectations.

Yes, you can cancel your membership at any time or simply let it expire.

Please note that we do NOT offer refunds for unused membership periods.

We will always try to notify members as soon as possible if a ride is cancelled due to bad weather or unsafe conditions.

Cancellations are communicated via Strava, WhatsApp, and email. We only cancel rides when conditions pose a safety risk, such as heavy rain, strong winds, or icy roads.