Why join WCCC ?
Why join the WCCC?
If you have only ever cycled by yourself, you will be amazed at the benefits group riding brings. No more following maps or getting lost - you can explore West Cork safe in the knowledge than the group knows where it's going (presumably!). The pain associated with climbing hills is diluted when your colleagues around you are also suffering. When you get tired, you can draft at the back of the group. Your fitness and bike handling skills will rapidly improve. You will get advice and assistance from more experienced members who were once beginners too. And most importantly, it is always social. You'll be looking forward to the Sunday morning spin all week long.
If you are already familiar with group riding, you will know about the benefits. Now, combine those benefits with super West Cork routes, and you get the picture. We follow a different route each week, so each Sunday brings a whole new adventure. If this sounds appealing, then the WCCC is the club for you. Of course, you will also get to wear the coolest cycling kit in the country.
We typically have 60-70 members. These include leisure cyclists, sportive riders and racers. Every now and then, some members take a notion to go racing. A number of members also participate regularly in adventure races around the country, including the SCAR.
Thinking of joining?
New members are always welcome. It doesn't matter where you live, as long as you can make the Sunday spins from time to time. Our members come from all across West Cork, with a few more distant members who visit occasioanally. One member lives in Dublin, and comes out with us whenever he's around.
If you are new to cycling, you will need to get your average speed up to around 22-23 km/h before you can comfortably participate in group rides. The best way to acheive this is by getting out regularly for a few months, either by yourself or with friends. Once you can maintain 22-23 km/h by yourself over a 2 hour ride, you will be ready for group cycling. If you are at this level, come on out with us.
Before joining, we recommend that you come out for 1-2 introductory spins first. This will give you a good idea of what group riding is like. If you're curious about what club cycling is all about, why not come out with us? There's no need to notify us beforehand - just turn up on the morning with a suitable bike and a helmet. If you are a regular cyclist, you should have Cycling Ireland insurance, available on their website.
What's next?
So, you can comfortably average 22-23 km/h or higher over 1-2 hours. Where do you go from here? The first step is to come out with our Green Group on 1-2 spins, as described above. If you enjoy your introductory spins and wish to join the WCCC, you will require a licence from Cycling Ireland. Costing approx. €40 annually, this provides insurance for you and the club. You can apply for the licence online. Once you have your licence, just pay your WCCC annual membership fee (also a paltry €35), and away you go. We ask that members come out on spins as often as possible, as cycling fitness begins to drop after only 2-3 weeks of inactivity. You will need to obey the club rules on all spins.
The club kit is available for purchase, so you can buy jerseys, shorts, jackets, etc. as you need them (because of course this is the real reason you joined). See our kit ordering page.