Meet the club
Have you ever wondered what kind of people you might get to ride with if you join our club? Read about some of our lovely members below!
Freya
I have been a member of the Condors for the last 4 years. I joined the club as I wanted to start road cycling and meet new people. My first Condor ride was a lovely, sunny spin out to The Milk Shed. Everyone was so welcoming and friendly and I have been riding with the club ever since. I mainly enjoy social rides, bike-packing trips and gravel riding. One of my favourite parts of cycling is exploring local cafés. My most loved café stops include, the Old Shed and Blake's Kitchen 😍
Don
I have always used cycling and public transport to get around
and didn’t pass my driving test until I was 36. A hip replacement
meant I needed to choose low impact activities and when I saw
an announcement on our NHS Intranet site about a new cycling
group I plucked up courage to apply. I received an encouraging
reply from Jonny Revis and went along. I had done a few cycle
tours already and had recently ridden my first 100 mile sportive
with panniers on a heavy bike and noted that nearly everyone
else was on road bikes. I bought my first road bike in 2011.
I still enjoy bike touring and now have some bike packing
equipment. My most recent tour was around the North of
Ireland and yes it did rain: a lot. My next sportive will be a
return to the Etape Loch Ness which I take part in with my
partner’s (now 70 year old) brother. As a pensioner I plan to get
out on some bike-packing tours.
Becky
I've been a member of the Condors since about 2017. I joined because we had moved to Oxford and I didn't really know anyone. I like doing outdoorsy things so thought it might be a good way to meet people. I had been a member of running groups and other outdoor clubs before but never a cycle club. I was used to being out on my bike though and commuting miles every week. It had never really occurred to me to join a cycle club. I guess I just sort of presumed cycle clubs were a train of men gunning past you in matching Lycra!
I tend to mainly do social café rides of about 40-60 miles on a Saturday or Sunday morning. In the lighter evenings, I try to get in a Tuesday or Thursday evening social ride too of about 30 miles. We often go for a pint afterwards - maybe pizza. I have also recently done some cycle holidays with family and friends.
The thing I like best about the Condors is I find I often have lots in common with the people I end up riding next to and always have a good chat. You don't notice the miles go by when you are putting the world to rights! I meet new people most rides.
I am not the fastest person on the bike but enjoy long rides and a good fresh air endorphin buzz. I should probably push myself more and sign up for a long endurance ride next year... With the Condors, I have also enjoyed doing e.g. a cycle weekend away in Hay-on-Wye, winter spin classes, a bike-packing weekend and lots of socials!
Don't hesitate in signing up for your first-ever Condors taster ride! It took me months as I didn't know what to expect. I am glad I did though as now I have lots of cycling buddies and get out on my bike more often and for further as it is nice to see them.
Eddie
I am old, black, lumps in some of the wrong places & a woman so definitely don’t fit the old cycle club stereotype 😜
Fortunately times have changed 👏🏿
I joined CC a couple of years ago solely because of the club's mantra of aspiring to be the be the friendliest sports club in Oxford.
That statement could not be truer.
It’s made up of some of the most supportive, encouraging & warm people - yes really 😊
Because my Dad was cycling champion in Antigua I like to think that cycling is in my blood but, unfortunately, I have only inherited his enthusiasm & very little of the talent 😂 Luckily this has no impact on my enjoyment of cycling with the Condors as there are rides to suit many different abilities.
Come down & have a go.
I really don’t think that you will regret it 😊