About Twickenham Cycling Club

Twickenham Cycling Club is an inclusive, welcoming, friendly, and well-established club – we’ve been going since 1893. We are also a physical club, rather than just an internet entity, with a club room from where our rides begin and (naturally) where we gather for tea, cake, chat and laughter after Tuesday training rides. We do, of course, embrace digital technology and the club uses Whatsapp, Google groups and various social media to keep members informed.

The club’s prime objective has always been to promote interest in and participation in cycle sport at all levels, but it’s also perfect if you just love riding your bike. Many of our most competitive racing members joined with just a passion for riding.

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Road riding is the favourite of most members although sportives are also popular, with a large contingent taking part in the most challenging events in the UK and abroad. Time-trialling, track riding, and cyclocross also feature heavily in some of our members’ programmes with riders competing in time trials, track events, and cyclocross leagues at National, Regional, and Local levels.

We are keen to help new riders interested in having a go at racing in any of these cycling disciplines. We are equally keen to encourage people who just like riding out on the club rides.

The club has long held a strong Women’s section and welcomes boys and girls for our Youth (from age 13) and Junior (16-18) sections. There are weekly, coached Youth and Junior-specific training sessions and also cluster sessions with other clubs at various times throughout the year.

The club organises a sportive and a number of race events throughout the year (see Events page), and these present our members with the opportunity to volunteer (see below).

Each year in the Spring (usually April or May) a number of members go to Majorca to a training camp. This is a really well-organised affair and is as attractive to those who want to bury themselves for a week to kick-start their racing season as it is to those who want a nice bike ride every day and some good food and sunshine.

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Volunteer Information

Volunteering a little of your time once in a while is an integral part of being a member. This is the case in most cycling clubs and it’s what keeps cycle sport going at every level. The volunteer jobs at races are many: from marshalling, judging, and managing timing-chips to the more mundane like putting up signs, and making tea and sandwiches.

Apart from feeling like you’ve given something back there are other benefits to volunteering:

• The club offers a discounted subscription rate to members who accrue a certain amount of volunteering throughout the year.
• Volunteering at the TCC-hosted events has sometimes been the catalyst leading members to train to be British Cycling ride-leaders, coaches, and commissaires.

Other volunteering opportunities include:

• leading new riders’ groups – this is done on a rota basis – and
• Tuesday clubroom duty – also done on a rota basis.
• The events listed below.

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Member Benefits

As a member of Twickenham Cycling Club, you have access to a whole lot more than just organised weekly rides. Below is the list of impressive benefits available to you as a member of this historic and friendly club.

2023 MEMBER BENEFITS

The following Member benefits are available to Members of Twickenham Cycling Club who have paid their annual membership fees for 2023. Please note that these benefits are for 2023 only and may change in future years subject to availability.

1. Payment of Entry Fees for Races

Members who represent Twickenham Cycling Club in any road race, time trial, track or cyclo-cross event held under British Cycling regulations and any time trial held under Cycling Time Trial (CTT) regulations will be able to claim their entry fees during 2023 once they have paid their membership fees for 2023. (Members who join part way through a year will only be able to claim for races in which they have participated after they paid their membership fees).

Evidence of participation will be required in the form of an official result sheet, or copy of results published on the internet together with the relevant URL. Payment will be made upon submission of the relevant documentation to the Treasurer.

Payments are capped at a maximum of £100 per member.

Committee may approve additional expenditure on a case-by-case basis.

NB: This benefit has been extended for 2023 to include any race due to the Club having built up a financial surplus since the Covid pandemic in 2020. This is unlikely to continue in future years as it is expected that this initiative along with several other schemes will significantly reduce the available funds.

2. Club Kit

• Any Member who achieved 1st Cat or 2nd Cat status, riding for TCC, during the 2022 season will be entitled to the club kit detailed below upon payment of the annual membership fee for 2023.
• Any member achieving a total of 1000 miles in non-competitive events with recorded distance and time (cyclo-sportive/audax), during the preceding year will be entitled to club kit as for 2nd Cat detailed below on payment of the annual membership fee for 2023.
• Any member riding Time Trial, Track or Cyclo-Cross who are of a standard equivalent to RR 1st or 2nd categories on representation to the Committee may be awarded club kit on renewal of their 2023 membership.
• Any other special requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• 1st Cat 2 Racing Jerseys or contribution of £100 towards kit.
• 2nd Cat 1 Racing Jersey or contribution of £50 towards kit.
• This benefit is only available to Members who ride events representing Twickenham Cycling Club.

3. Volunteer Discount

Any member who volunteers during the year for any two of the following will be offered a discounted membership the following year (this equates roughly to between 8-10 hours of volunteering):

• Club Events as advertised each year, for example Surrey Rumble, Dave Peck Memorial RR, Open Track Meet, Cyclo-Cross and various Time Trial events.
• Saturday Ride Leaders
• Tuesday Night Tea Rota
• Any other club events that may be organised during the year, for example training sessions at Hillingdon.

Club Representatives and Committee Members will be offered complementary memberships for the year following their election and each year served thereafter. Club Members who are British Cycling/Cycling Time Trials Event Organisers and organise events on behalf of Twickenham Cycling Club will be offered complementary membership for the year following their event.

4. Club Equipment

The Club has various items of equipment available for Club Members to borrow for particular events, to take on-loan whilst their own equipment is being mended or replaced after an incident, whilst they are recovering from injury or to ‘try before you buy’. This equipment comprises:

• Turbo Trainers
• Track Bikes (for loan at Herne Hill Velodrome only)
• Aero Helmets for Team Time Trials or Team Track Events

5. Discounts

There are several organisations who offer Twickenham Cycling Club discounts on their products and services. Proof of membership should be presented by showing a BC licence which states TCC as member club or by showing the email membership confirmation from the TCC Secretary.