Our club runs are not “full-effort” training rides. We try to keep a steady pace and ride as a group at all times, dropping to the pace of the slowest rider if necessary on climbs. So you don’t have to be super fit to ride on our club runs. As a guideline, if you can manage a 40 mile solo ride at a reasonable pace (average 25kmph), you should have no problem riding with us.

We tend to ride in a fairly close group, riding two abreast unless road or traffic conditions require us to ride single file. Don’t worry if you feel a little nervous at first when riding in a group, you will soon get the hang of it.

Yes.  You’re welcome to join up to 2 club rides before deciding to join the club and can sign-up to a ride directly, via the Link My Ride app – just search for Walton Velo CC under “clubs” to see our scheduled rides.

You will need to abide by applicable club rules and group ride etiquette whilst riding with the club.

We try to schedule rides a number of weeks in advance so that everyone can plan accordingly. The planned route for each ride is shown in the club Ride Calendar on Link My Ride (search for Walton Velo CC) and a downloadable GPS route map is provided for every ride.

Details of regular routes can be found in the club Ride Book.  Although we don’t always stop at a cafe, where there are suitable options this will be agreed before we set off as some riders will not want to, or have time to stop.

An example route is shown below, for a ‘typical’ Surrey Hills ride.

You don’t need the latest carbon-fibre bike, but we do ask that your bike is in a serviceable and road-worthy condition.  There is nothing worse on a cold day than hanging around for someone to perform roadside maintenance that they should have done at home.  Carry a pump, a couple of spare inner tubes and tyre levers at all times.

There will always be helping hands when needed, but don’t rely on someone else having the necessary spares to get you moving again.

Generally, we do ride in most weather conditions – if it’s raining lightly, not blowing a gale and not snowing.  If visibility is poor then please make sure you fit a front and rear light to your bike.  If the weather is unsuitable for riding or poses a safety risk then we may switch to a virtual group ride instead.

Note that lights are mandatory for some rides at certain times of the year, such as the Wednesday Chain Gang in winter.

It is a good idea to carry a drink with you for the ride (even on cold days) and although we normally stop at a cafe after about 50km anyway, you may want to bring some food with you just in case.  It’s also a good idea to carry a mobile phone, a waterproof top if rain is forecast, some money (for the cafe and in case of emergency) and some identification with emergency contact details.

Riders on the club runs raising the tempo significantly when they get to the front, or charging off on solo attacks will be politely ignored 😊

When riding with the club or in club kit, please remember that you represent the club.  Treat other road users with consideration and respect.  Occasionally, we are subject to abuse and aggression from motorists – hard as it may seem at the time, it’s best to ignore them as far as possible and avoid confrontation.  Cyclists rarely come off best in arguments with cars!

Yes, we hold periodic social events at a range of local venues.  The aim is to provide an opportunity for members to meet up, chat about what they’ve been up to, and discuss events that others might be interested in.  The atmosphere is relaxed and typically there will be refreshments available.