Frequently Asked Questions

To join Hampton Wick Cycling Club, simply visit our Events page and RSVP to a Full Member Induction, or a Beginner Ride. Once you attended one of these events, you will be given more information on joining the club. You can also visit the Contact Us page and one of the team will answer any questions you have. You can also send us an email at hamptonwickcyclingclub@gmail.com

Joining Hampton Wick Cycling Club offers various benefits such as access to group rides, cycling events, discounts on cycling products and services, and a supportive community of fellow cyclists.

Our regular rides are usually on Saturdays (laps of Richmond Park & Beginner Sessions), Sundays (Full Member club rides) and Wednesday evenings (Richmond Park pretzel in the Summer & Zwift club rides in Winter). We may also organise holidays and weekends away, as well as getting involved in organised rides such as sportives or audaxes. All rides are posted on our Events page.

Unless we’re doing something special, most rides start either in Richmond Park at Colicci Café near Roehampton Gate or in Kingston. Our rides will usually end at a pub in Kingston for post ride refreshments and debrief. Rides go out in all directions to Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Kent, Hertfordshire, Essex and sometimes further afield such as Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, East Sussex and West Sussex.

To join one of our Sunday club rides, you should be able to ride consistently over 3 – 5 hours. We usually have only one coffee break. If you don’t think you’re up to this, we encourage you to come along to our Beginner Sessions or even our New Member Induction rides in Richmond Park so you can talk to some of our regulars.

Yes, every group has a Ride Captain who is responsible for navigating and keeping the group together. Ride Captains are generally more experienced Club Members who volunteer to lead rides, we are not offering cycling training or coaching.

At the moment we do not have a racing team. But if there was enough interest in the future, why not? We are a social cycling club and although our members do ride in sportives and audaxes, mostly we are cycling for enjoyment rather than to beat someone to a finish line. Some of our members enjoy a bit of gravel riding and some also do some track cycling.

All membership details and packages are explained on the Membership page.

We currently have 50% female members.

Our members range from riders in their 30's to members in their 70's.

This is something we hope to offer very soon, please contact us if this interests you.

Your membership is valid from the date of joining until the last day of February. Our Membership year starts on 1st March. If you join in the last 6 months of the membership year, the fee is reduced by 50%. You will receive a reminder email when it is time to renew.

Sunday club rides tend to be anything from 20 miles (for Social Rides) up to around 100 miles. We often have some longer rides with an option to return home on the train, for those who don’t want to do the whole thing.

Probably! We try to vary our routes, but hills are unavoidable. On every ride posted in our Event Schedule, there will be a link to the .gpx file and also a link to a Veloviewer page where you can view the individual climbs on any given route.

Yes we usually stop for coffee & cake and all our rides include a refreshment stop.

If you are struggling on a Sunday ride, be sure to let the Ride Captain know – we can either slow down the whole group or take a break. One of our key goals is to never drop anyone! However, if you are really struggling to maintain speed and decide to leave the group during the ride, we will help you decide the best course of action.

As a minimum you should bring two water bottles, snacks, cash / cards for food, lights, a pump, a multi-tool and at least one spare inner tube. If you have room to carry them, some riders also include spare chain links and a chain breaker tool, a spare rear mech hanger suitable for your bike and a battery pack/charger for longer rides.

We will wait as a group while you replace or fix your inner tube. We recommend you have at least one spare inner tube with you and are familiar with how to change it. If you have a major mechanical and can’t continue, we’ll always help you to decide the best course of action.

No. Our members will be happy to guide and advise you during club rides. For those new to cycling, you are welcome to join as a Beginner Member and attend Beginner Sessions where we will cycle at a slower pace and on quieter roads so that you can gain experience of riding in a group.

No. Our club events are graded by distance and there will always be shorter distance rides each month. We do not use average speed to measure our rides and groups will cycle at a comfortable pace for all members. Although it is worth noting that stronger riders will generally opt for the longer distance rides and these are usually cycled at a faster pace than shorter rides.

We all love quiet country lanes, but we do ride on busy roads. You should be confident riding with traffic and comfortably be able to signal with both hands. Group riding can offer safety in numbers but if you are nervous, just ask one of our regulars to stick with you for a while as you gain confidence. Alternatively you can attend our Beginner Sessions to gain confidence.

You are responsible for your own safety on the ride and should obey the highway code.

For any ride, fuelling is really important, especially longer rides. Everyone is unique so it’s important that you learn what works for you. A good breakfast is a great starting point, but always bring water and some snacks with you as shops can be few and far between when we’re out in the countryside. As a general rule, if you’re riding over an hour, you need to fuel. Electrolytes in your water are a really good idea as you’ll be sweating and losing salt. In terms of snacks, it’s up to you – energy bars, flapjacks, bananas, sandwiches, nuts – anything that can fit into your jersey pockets!

If you have RSVP'd to a ride or an event on the Events page, you will receive an email notification to alert you that an event has been cancelled. We will always try to notify members as soon as possible if a ride is cancelled due to bad weather or other circumstances. We also have a Whatsapp group where we can notify the members of any cancellations.

Please visit our Membership page, where we detail the bike requirements for each category of membership.

No. We publish the routes for our rides and you can use apps on your phone to follow the routes and we always recommend you have the route saved 'just in case'. A GPS head unit would use less battery power than using your phone, but there is no need to go out and buy one straight away.

No. Clipless pedals will aid your riding but you are more than welcome to ride with us with any pedals.

You are responsible for bringing a bike that is properly maintained before starting a ride. You need to be confident that you won't suffer any mechanical issues that could endager your safety or the safety of those you are riding with.

You can wear whatever you are comfortable in, especially as a beginner, but cycling-specific clothing is perfect for long rides. Something breathable (not cotton as you’ll end up a sweaty mess!) with layers as the weather dictates. Padded cycling shorts are also a godsend, as are packable rain jackets if the heavens open. Gloves / mitts and sunglasses can also make you feel more comfortable if you want to wear them.

Yes. You will not be allowed to ride if you don't have a helmet. In addition to this being a condition of our club insurance, we also strongly believe that from a safety aspect, every rider must wear one.