Cycling Groups / Club Spins
LEISURE GROUPS
Anyone interested in joining the club is welcome to come along and try two group spins free.
If you have no experience of riding in a group, for the safety of you and other club riders, you must attend the Starter Group at least once, where the group leaders will assess your current ability and recommend the group best suited to your skill level. The safety of all is a club priority.
| Group | Description | When | Where | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STARTER GROUP | This is the group for those with little or no group riding experience. You will learn the skills, and develop the confidence required to safely ride in a group. Typical distance 35-40km, with a minimum average speed of 20kph. | Sunday mornings @ 9.30 | Lucan Village Triangle | Chris Stynes, 087-2453611 |
| 60K GROUP | This Group will ride a distance of 60-70km, at an average speed of 23kph. | Sunday mornings @ 9.30 | Lucan Village Triangle | Chris Stynes, 087-2453611 |
| SPORTIVE GROUP | This Group rides a distance of 80-90km from April to the end of October at an average speed of 26-27kph, and in the Winter period approx. 70km averaging 25kph. The group participates in a number of Sportive events such as: Tour of Connemara, Wicklow Peaks, Great Dublin Bike Ride, and Blanch Wheelies Cycle. In the Summer months we also have a midweek spin on Tuesday evenings leaving from the Springfield Hotel in Leixlip. | Saturday mornings @ 9.30 | Lucan Village Triangle | Clara, 087-6282344 or Liam, 058-7411518 |
| INTERS GROUP | This group is a mix of leisure cyclists and racers with an average speed 28kph over distances of 90-100km. Some members of this group participate in the main Irish sportives (including the Wicklow 100/200), while others enjoy racing during the summer months. | Saturday mornings @ 9.30 | Lucan Village Triangle | Ernest Chalkley, 087-9113190 |
Note: the Lucan Village Triangle meeting place is on Main Street, outside the Methodist church
RACING GROUPS
Lucan Cycling Road Club has a strong racing tradition, and is actively involved in road, track, time trials and cyclocross, with members competing in all disciplines from youth riders through to veterans, ensuring that the club colours are to the fore in local races and national events.
- Youths (under 16s)
- Juniors (under 18s)
- Novice / Intermediate riders (A4)
- Advanced riders (A1, A2, A3)
- Vets (Masters)
Racing members participate in the following racing disciplines:
Road Racing
A road race (RR) is a mass start race on open roads, either place to place or several laps of a circuit. The winner is the first rider to cross the finish line. Points may be awarded for the first 10 riders. Irish road races are run under the rules of Cycling Ireland (CI). The club organises various road races throughout the year.
Criterium Racing
A criterium (or crit) is a race run on a short closed circuit (no traffic). A crit is a mass start race run over a set time (usually about an hour), after which riders must complete a set number of laps before the first rider to cross the line (who has not been lapped) wins.
Handicap Racing
A handicapped road race where Riders set off in different category groups (A4, A3, A2, & A1) at 1-5 minute intervals, with the A4 category first and the A1 category last. Slower groups have to work to avoid being caught by faster groups. The winner is the first rider across the finish line.
Time Trials
A time trial (TT) is a race against the clock on open roads. Riders are set off at 1 minute intervals and the fastest rider to complete the course is the winner. The standard distances for time trials are 20km & 40km.. Longer time trials involve covering the greatest distance possible in a set time, either 12 hours or 24 hours. Each year Cycling Ireland runs a National Series along with several other club run events in Leinster.
Track Racing
Track racing takes place at a velodrome. Ireland’s primary track racing location is the Sundrive outdoor track located at Eamon Ceannt Park in Crumlin. There are a range of track events, including time trials, team and individual sprints and bunch races. You need to have track accreditation and a special fixed-wheel bike to ride on the track. Track bikes are available for hire in Sundrive. Sundrive also provides accreditation, details can be found here.
Cyclocross
Skinny tyres, mud, short, sharp off-road racing, with hurdles, obstacles and intense, close racing. That’s cyclocross, a form of off-road racing that predates mountain biking by decades. It’s also one of the most accessible forms of cycle sport with racing for everyone from young kids to grandmothers. There is a National & Leinster Cyclocross Series which takes place in the autumn and winter. Cyclocross bikes are available to hire in the club (contact the Off-Road Secretary). Details of the Leinster Series can be found here
Veterans (Masters) Racing
Ireland has a strong Veterans (also known sometimes as Masters) racing scene, run by the Irish Veterans Cyclists Association (IVCA, www.theivca.com). Veterans are male cyclists over 40 years and females over 35 years. Racing takes place on Sunday mornings from April until September, and on Tuesday evenings between May and August. Riders are categorised based on their ability across 5 groups, and have the option to gain promotion through results, or to drop back a group if they wish. Riders have to become a member of the IVCA, with races being run under Cycling Ireland (CI) rules. A Limited Competition CI license is also required.
What do I need to start racing?
If you plan on road, road, track, time trial or off road racing you will need to consider membership of, and a racing license from Cycling Ireland (CI), the Irish governing body for cycling. A Full or Limited race license may be bought. Limited licenses are sufficient to gain entry to the Inter-Club League. If you plan to race in Open Races (see below) regularly, a full race license is most cost effective. Further details can be found here.
What races can I enter?
A full calendar of all types of races with details required to enter them is available on the Cycling Ireland website.
Time trials and track events are open to everyone, but most road races are restricted to riders of certain categories. An explanation of categories can also be found on the Cycling Ireland website.
How do I enter a race?
Depending on the event you intend to race there are different ways to enter:
Inter-Club League: There is an annual fee payable at the start of the year which is your entry fee to all the events during the year, there is a requirement that you marshal some of the events in order to be able to compete.
Vets (IVCA) Races: In order to ride IVCA club races you must join the IVCA club. In order to do this you must apply to join and complete an application form (usually available on the IVCA website in the last months of the preceding year). Once accepted, you pay a yearly fee that covers all events, but as with the Inter-Club League, there is a requirement to marshal some events.
Open Races: Open Races is the name given to races organised by Cycling Ireland registered clubs, which run events in accordance with Cycling Ireland’s criteria. These events are held throughout the country and depending on the type of event (Road/Track/Cyclocross/BMX/Mountain Biking) during various “seasons”, e.g. the Road season is early March to September. Open Races are also the events in which a rider who finishes in a qualifying position will get points for upgrading to the next category (A4/A3/A2/A1). These races are held on a grading basis for categories, or they may be of a handicapped nature where the categories are mixed together, but with different start times. All National Championships are run under open races and include U12, U14, U16, Junior, A3, U23, Elite, M40, M50, M60 Male, and U12, U14, U16, Junior, Elite, M40, M50 Women in most events. Entry for these events is through Cycling Ireland’s Eventmaster Website.