Glasgow Riderz SCIO is a youth cycling club established in 2004 under the British Cycling Go Ride scheme. It established its SCIO status in 2022. Over the years we have grown from a handful of cyclists, to one of the UK’s largest youth only cycling clubs.

Our Mission & Purpose

• Glasgow Riderz is all about making the next generation of cyclists in a fun friendly environment. As a club we simply want the young people of Glasgow to be able to get the most out of cycling and to develop a lifelong passion for riding their bicycles. In doing so we believe our Riderz will grow up to be healthier, happier and more environmentally aware.
• Through our volunteer coaches and helpers we offer Riderz from the age of 6 a solid foundation in riding skills which then leads to a multi-discipline experience across Road, BMX, Track, MTB and Cyclocross – making full use of the world class facilities Glasgow and Scotland have to offer. As our Riderz gain in confidence and skills we encourage them to both race for the Club and to enjoy the social side of cycling. Whether they go on to represent Team GB (there were 3 Riderz competing at the Olympics!), become a coach and pass their skills onto others, simply enjoy social rides with friends or perhaps cycle to work our mission is done if we have “made a cyclist”.
• We want to encourage more girls and young women into and to stay in cycling. Our club aim is 50% female members, currently we sit around 30% female.
• We aim to prevent a lack of financial means being a barrier to someone being part of our club.

What do we do?

Throughout the year our qualified coaches offer weekly sessions focusing on the core skills and techniques to develop well rounded / accomplished cyclists. We have our own performance coach who……

Sessions take place around Glasgow. We use Pollok and Bellahouston parks, Cathkin Braes, Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and the BMX track at Knightswood. The road rides take place on the quieter country roads towards Bishopton, around the A77 and out from Cathkin Braes.

Keep reading for more information on the different sessions.

Spond

All communication, booking, payment, consenting to activities and medical information takes place on Spond, please download this on your phone. If you have any difficulties please let us know or see our easy to use guide ( do we have something / link?) All activities will be available to book 7 days in advance and will have a final sign up time to allow us to coordinate coaches for the number of participants. There is no limit to the number of activities you can sign up for.

Monthly membership £12 this is collected via a standing order. Membership must be paid monthly in order to retain your place within Glasgow Riderz SCIO

Several sessions are included in the price of the membership however we need to pay Glasgow Life for use of some venues. To cover this there is an added cost for the mid week activities below.

• BMX (£4)
• Track (£8)
• Rollerz (£2)

This additional cost will be paid via spond when booking in for the session

What does the rider bring?

Please note a helmet is required for participation in all activities

Close fitting trousers/shorts and shoes with Velcro fasteners or laces tucked in out of the way are the most important points. The weather can be cold and wet at any time of year so pack a spare fleece and waterproofs. Denim gets wet and stays wet so is not suitable.

Remember that your child will be getting physically active, so over-dressing them in warm heavy clothes can be detrimental and make cycling miserable.  Ideally, they should be able to remove unzip some layers easily and carry them in their own bag.

Gloves are required. We do not recommend mittens as they may compromise grip/braking.

Your child should carry a small rucksack for water, snack and spare inner tube & waterproof clothes. This bag should be “cycle-able” ie, they can ride in it.  Drawstring bags can do the job but can be improved by shortening the strings etc so that they do not swing around.

Bikes

Although we run a bike check before each session please check the following:

Tyres are inflated to a firm pressure

Brakes, front and rear, are operational and do not “lock on” or rub

Handlebars are tightened, and any open bar ends are plugged or taped over

Saddles are tightened and do not rotate up/down or left/right

Gears work

Chains are lightly oiled

Loan bikes are available by pre arrangement.

Health & consent

Consent must be given for participation in all club activities, this can be done via spond.

Inform the coaches and update spond of any changes in health and ensure riderz have any medication they may require eg inhalers, EpiPen’s and the coaches know where to find them if needed

If there are any strategies that help your child participate or learn please make the coaches aware of them. – for additional needs, prob needs reworded

The Sessionz

Saturdays

Our Saturday sessions are where you learn the core cycling skills and get exposure to all areas of cycling in a fun group environment. Riderz are grouped according to their skill level and age and will slowly progress through the groups as they grow and develop as riderz. In these sessions they will be exposed to a variety of riding skills including  cornering, ascending and descending, braking, progressing these skills on a variety of terrain, developing group riding skills, racing craft but most importantly having fun on their bikes with friends.

When

Saturday mornings 9.45 for 10am start

Where

Saturday Bellahouston, Pollok Park or Cathkin Braes –

Cost

Included in membership

Who can do it

Open to everyone – Riderz will be allocated to an appropriate group dependent on their ability level and age.

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