Captain’s group

This is how we roll…

Hi I’m Monty. I’ve been a member of ACC since 1993 and the Club Captain for nearly a decade.

I have done several types of racing but my favourite place to be is the ACC club run. Since the year 2000 the ACC road club run has seen unprecedented growth from 6 to 122 riders and has become a cycling institution and reference model for how amateur cycling club runs should be organised. Having done around 700 clubruns I have been in a fortunate position to learn from and pinch best practice from other clubs, I believe we have achieved the holy grail of clubruns i.e. appealing to all abilities/objectives in cycle sport whilst maintaining a totally inclusive ethos.

My main goal has been to develop ACC as a club using the club run as a vehicle for growth and change, this has been achieved by constantly striving to give all and especially new riders an ‘Agreeable’ welcome and a positive cycling experience. The club run will always be a good work-out in a safe environment but most of all it is always be fun! Cycling can be perceived as an individual sport, however the ACC club run is always oozing with team camaraderie and positive enthusiasm, it’s something you just have to experience.

We meet at Coulsdon South train station at 9am every Saturday throughout the year, so please come along and introduce yourself to me, or in my absence one of my 15 Vice Captains. After a chat I can then suggest an appropriate ability group for your ride and introduce you to the group leader. We depart in up to eight groups ranging from 15 to 21 mph average speed, with a special Just-For-Fun ride on the first Saturday of each month. The faster you can ride the further you ride, so we all arrive at the mid-ride ACC cafe stop in Charlwood at similar times. There are various routes to the cafe and normally a hilly or fast flat ride back home to Coulsdon. During the ride you will develop your skills and fitness and learn the Agreeable club run etiquette, in the cafe you can mix with different groups to learn from the experience of seasoned riders, This is a huge social occasion and there is nothing quite like around 100 riders from one club in one cafe emitting 100 decibels of cyclospeak. On the ACC Club run you are never alone as there are always a handful of new riders each Saturday, so there are plenty of riders who, like you, are new to the club.

I believe we have the most successful clubrun in the UK for a generation but don’t take my word for it come along and give us a try.

Monty

Email monty@addiscombe.org if you’re thinking about coming along…