Page

The following article has been submitted to the Hexham Courant for publishing in advance of the first of a series of Guided Rides, aimed at attracting new members at all levels of experience and fitness and from all disciplines:

Lottery Win for Tyne Valley Cycling Club!

Following a successful bid for National Lottery Awards for All funding Tyne Valley Cycling Club has been awarded a grant of £10,000 for its Community Cycling project. The aim of the project is to attract, encourage and enable people throughout the area to participate in, and to enjoy the benefits of, cycling in the beautiful Tyne valley.

One of the main aims of the club is to increase its membership at all levels and in all disciplines, aiming especially at less experienced riders not aspiring to full club level fitness who simply want to enjoy the countryside at a more leisurely pace. Competitive riders will, of course, still be actively encouraged and all members can achieve the level of fitness and technical ability that suits them. New members will be able to form new groups within the club with similar aims, have representation on the club committee and organise suitable activities for themselves with support from the club and its resources.

Starting on Saturday May 24 at 10am, TVCC invites any riders to turn up at the Tyne Riverside Country Park car park at Prudhoe for the first of a series of guided rides, led by experienced club members, in a traffic-free environment along the riverside to Wylam and Newburn Bridge. Riders could choose to continue east from Newburn or return along the other side of the river, or earlier for the less adventurous. These rides will be repeated, depending on demand, on the following 2 Saturdays and beyond if requested but through time we expect that riders will prefer to advance to road or off-road rides with like-minded riders forming sub-groups. Go on, have a go! Most bikes are suitable for these paths, so long as it’s not too wet and muddy. Helmets are recommended and at least one spare inner tube is essential. Initial rides will be strictly non-competitive.

Thanks to the Lottery grant, club members, new and old, will have access later this year to such resources as a 12 bike trailer, cheap mini-bus hire, coaching facilities, coach training, loan bikes for newcomers to try, advice from experienced members and many other facilities not available to the general public.

If you’d like to know more about the club then check us out at www.tynevalleycycling.co.uk where you can also find all the contact details you need for further information. Alternatively you can ring Peter Scott on 01661 844762 (evening), or 07887 643515 (day) or Mike Hodgson on 01207 255219 (evening) or 07843 312584 (day). Tyne Valley Cycling Club looks forward to meeting you all!

Posted in Events.