Women

WOMEN'S SPRING SESSIONS 2026

Are you thinking about joining a road cycling club, but not sure if it’s for you?

Come join us on a course that is designed for ALL women and led by women, to improve confidence and skills!

The Condors Women’s Spring Sessions is a 5-week course designed for women who want to get into road cycling in a friendly and supportive environment, and learn some group riding skills. The rides are aimed at women who have not been along to one of our rides before and are usually not members of the club.

We’ll cover the basics of group riding, tackling hills, using gears, an off-road option, nutrition, a 2hr bike maintenance women’s session with our sisters at the Broken Spoke Co-op, and gradually building endurance. The rides take in the local countryside, and are accessible, fun, and paced so everyone feels comfortable.

Joining a bike club can feel daunting, so we’ve put this programme together to offer our hands on your back as you give it a go with some lovely Condors women. You might find at the end of the course that you’re keen on bicycle touring, or gravel adventures, Audaxes, road racing, or anything in between.

The course takes us into June—sportive season—so you might even fancy taking in the Cotswolds on a supported event like Bike Oxford. We hope you’ll join the Club—the fee will be deducted from your membership if you do—but this is more about opening up what we’re into at the Condors so you can enjoy riding with us as spring gets going, and find your pedal power.

When: Weekly, Tuesdays 6pm, Manzil Way Gardens, OX4 1YH, starting 28th April, through to 2nd June.

Cost: £10 for the full five weeks. If this is a barrier, Email Us and we can sort something out.

Bring: You must wear a helmet, and have a roadworthy bike. Hybrid, gravel, or road - all good. You will also need lights as we’re not quite in summer yet.

Book your place here.

FAQs

DO I NEED TO BOOK?

Yes! We only have 18 places available on a first come, first served basis. Book here.

WHAT LEVEL OF FITNESS DO I NEED TO BE AT?

Ideally you should be riding around town or to work regularly and have a reasonable level of fitness, e.g. be able to ride comfortably for 20-25 miles without stopping, or you might have fitness from doing other sports, like running or rowing. If you are not sure, Email Us and we will chat this through with you.

While we welcome women who are existing members of the Condors, these sessions are intended for those who are new to group riding and would suggest you offer to co-lead with our fabulous crew of ride leaders.

WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING?

Besides your helmet and lights, bring the usual things you would normally take out (phone, money, keys), plus a bottle of water/energy drink and a small snack. Something that can be stuffed in a pocket and doesn’t melt is ideal (think flapjack or cereal bar, rather than chocolate). Please try to bring some bike maintenance essentials: inner tube, tyre lever, a pump, and a spanner if you need one to take your wheel off. We will do our best to help with mechanical problems that crop up during the ride.

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?

Lycra is optional! Padded shorts or leggings are ideal, cycling jersey or sports top, keep an eye on the weather forecast, but generally we would expect it to be cool in the spring evenings, so be ready to put on a layer or two and maybe a light waterproof.

WHAT IF I CAN’T MAKE EVERY SESSION?

Don’t worry, we know that people have holidays booked or life sometimes just gets in the way. We hope you can make as many sessions as you are able to, and are able to do some ‘homework’ by going out yourself on other evenings and weekends. We are happy to share the routes we’re doing so you can try them solo or with your new found cycling buddies.

WHAT IF I’M TOO SLOW?

No one will be dropped on these rides, so please don’t worry about getting left behind. If you are really struggling then we will discuss this with you and look at moving you to the next course.

WHAT IF I’M TOO FAST?

Then you are ready to join the Condors and should check out the next social ride!

WHO WILL BE THERE? WILL I BE WELCOME?

The WSS are for all women including trans women and non-binary riders. Everyone is equally welcome - no need to ask! Our tagline is ‘Oxford’s friendliest cycle club’ for a reason. The WSS rides are for all women, led by women and organised by women. This is done deliberately as we recognise some potential new female members may feel more comfortable this way and would prefer to learn from other women. We should highlight here that we are a mixed club and all our social rides are mixed but on this occasion, we believe that women-specific support levels the playing field somewhat in the often male-dominated cycling space.

IS THIS COVERED BY INSURANCE?

As with any bike ride on a public road you need to ensure that you have a level of insurance you are happy with. We’d recommend any cyclist riding on a public highway to have 3rd party liability insurance (to cover you in case of an accident involving a pedestrian, motorist or another cyclist). You may also want insurance to cover your bike in case of damage or theft. This type of cover may well be part of your existing household insurance policy, or can normally be added reasonably inexpensively to your policy if not.

WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END?

There is no obligation to do so, but we hope that you’ve enjoyed cycling with us so much that you sign up to join the Condor family.

WHAT IF I CAN’T MAKE THIS COURSE?

We run the Women’s Spring Sessions every year, so keep an eye out for details and make sure you join the Condors Facebook group to get the latest news. You are also more than welcome to try out one of our Intro rides. There is something for every cyclist at this Club.

WHAT IF I STILL HAVE A QUESTION?

Drop us a line and we’ll be happy to chat more.