General Information

Last update: 18th October 2007

Contents of this page:

The Club
Why join
Arun-Adur Group
Other Information
Committee Members
Contact us

1. The Cyclists' Touring Club

The Cyclists' Touring Club is Britain's largest national cycling organisation, promoting recreational and utility cycling. The club was founded in 1878, and now has over 56,000 members throughout the UK and overseas, about 250 local groups and a further 200 independent affiliated groups. The CTC provides touring and technical advice, legal aid and insurance to members, and campaigns to improve facilities and opportunities for all cyclists. The bi-monthly club magazine, Cycle, contains many articles of interest to cyclists and a great 'classified ads' section.

The West Sussex CTC

The West Sussex Cyclists' Touring Club consists of three Groups: Arun-Adur, Bognor & Chichester and Horsham & Crawley. The Groups plan their own rides but very often they will meet for lunch or they may even join up for all or part of a ride.

The Arun-Adur Group

The group includes the coastal area between Littlehampton and Shoreham-by-Sea, and inland between the rivers, Arun and Adur. Membership currently stands at just over fifty households and our active members have a wide range of ages from people in their late twenties upwards. The younger ones are not necessarily the fittest but if you don't ride regularly, you won't be able to keep it up!

Contact us!

If you have any comments, preferably constructive, regarding our cycle rides or the website, please send your comments by clicking here on "contact us"

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2. Why join?

If, like me, you simply get on a bike and start riding, that's fine and you get to enjoy yourself, get fit and see the countryside all at the same time. However, you will soon get bored of riding on your own all of the time and what happens when something unforeseen happens like an accident, God forbid.
Whether the accident involves a motorist or like me, you fall off your bike whilst negotiating a hazardous junction, you will not get far if you are on your own. In fact, both Insurance companies and the local Councils will not be very helpful and you won't get any compensation without one almighty struggle and even then, you will probably lose.
In my case, I broke my hip and was out of action for about three months plus I now walk with a limp and cannot sleep on my left side. The WSCC had recently altered a road junction in order to slow down the traffic but it resulted in a very sharp adverse-camber corner, which in the wet, is diabolical(it's the Pulborough-end of West Chiltington Road, so be warned!).
The Council refused to accept any responsibility and as I was not a member of the CTC at the time, I simply had to give in. Had I been a member, the CTC would have fought my case for me as they have done recently for some cyclists that were blamed for being in collision with cars and not wearing helmets! As with most things, you only find out you need something or someone, when a certain situation arises, so think before you next get on your bike.

Also if you join your local CTC group, you also get to attend social events, meet like-minded friends, receive a free magazine and find roads you never knew existed!

Most cyclists are motorists too, but are more caring about their environment as well as their health so you should think seriously about the future as well as your own!

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3. Arun-Adur Group

An Overview of Club Activity

Club Nights

Held on the third Wednesday of alternate months(see the runslist pages at 7:30pm at Ferring Village Hall, which is just south of the Ferring level crossing. Club nights are a goodchance to have a chat and various forms of entertainment are often organised.There is a nominal charge of 50p to cover tea, coffee and biscuits.

Sunday Rides

Every Sunday, we usually meet at 9:30am from a variety of starting points and return by about 5:00pm(4.00pm in the winter months). The rides generally consist of about fifteen to eighteen miles between stops for refreshments at teashops on route. We usually return before dusk on the winter rides, but this cannot always be guaranteed so you should have lights on your bike. Anyone can join us and if you don't want to ride all day, you can join us at the elevenses(11s) or the Lunch(L) stop and just cycle part of the ride. Visit our Runslist page for details.

Tuesday Rides

On Tuesdays, rides are similar but tend to be at an easier pace than theSunday ones. Start times range from 9.00am to 10:30am from a variety of starting points. Contact Tony on 01903 201981or visit our Runslist page for details.

Saturday Off-Road Rides

Starting at 2.00pm on alternate Saturdays afternoons in the summer months, we run off-road Mountain Bike rides that are around 15 to 20 miles. The rides finish around 5:00pm and are ideal for off-roaders wanting to explore the countryside on traffic-free paths. Check our Runslist for details.

Other Events

We organise other cycling and social events throughout the year, such as bicycle treasure hunts, freewheeling and hill climb competitions, club holidays, Christmas Lunch and the New Year party. Some of our members also take part in events run by other clubs such as long distance Randonnée rides and even the odd racing time trial!

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4. Other Information

Membership

Non-CTCmembers are welcome at any of our events for a one month trial period. Cost of joining the section costs £6 per year to cover administration costs, for which you will receive a fully-detailed all-Groups 'Runs Lists' and The Pedaller magazine from the West Sussex CTC.
Please send a cheque payable to Arun-Adur CTC to the Treasurer.

Note: You will, of course, need to join the CTC too.
Membership of the CTC has various benefits, including free touring information, third-party insurance, legal help, an on-line shop, discounts and lots of advice as well as an excellent handbook and bi-monthly Cycle magazine.

Equipment

For basic touring, you will need a bicycle with at least five gears, although some experienced cyclists do ride single fixed-wheel! However, most of our members ride touring bikes with twelve, eighteen or more gears. If you ride a mountain bike, it is a good idea to fit "road & track" tyres which are suitable for both on- and off-road surfaces. A basic tool kit with a puncture repair outfit, a spare tube and a pump is essential as is a waterproof or windproof top. It is not essential to have lights but it is advisable. For your safety, we also highly recommend a cycle-helmet but it is not compulsary.

Fitness

You do not need to be particularly fit to cycle at a moderate pace. Cycling, like swimming, is extremely beneficial as it gives maximum benefit to muscles, circulation and breathing without the extra strain on joints that is caused by pounding roads or tracks on foot. Also, why spend all that money on expensive gymnasium fees to sit staring at blank walls(or a TV!) when you could see the wonderful English countryside and wildlife whilst keeping fit. Gyms are the most boring places but I can guarantee you will never be bored out in the countryside!
On the flat, 10 miles an hour on a bicycle takes about as much effort as a medium walking pace. Most of our on-road rides average about 10 to 12 mph (5 to 6mph for off-road rides), so a thirty mile ride is about the same as a three hour walk - or a busy day's shopping!

Join Us!

We always welcome new members and you can take advantage of our one month trial period. If you find it difficult to get to the start point for any ride, it is possible to meet up en-route, i.e., the elevenses(11s) or lunch(L) stops. Please get in touch with our Secretary or via this website for assistance.
If you have any further questions about the Arun-Adur section or the CTC, please don't hesitate to contact us or just come along to one of our rides or club nights.

5. Committee Members

Secretary:: Peter Wilson; 01903 755765
Treasurer:: Richard Boulton; 01903 241006
Runs Secretary & webmaster:: Dave Gallé; 01403 864738
Committee member:: Tony Nichols
Committee member:

(Details correct until next AGM in October 2008).

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