CTC Essex Member Groups

By Richard Monk
Tuesday, 20 November 2012
CTC attracts new cyclists to longer group rides
A tale of dedicated people who help people cycle together

I attended the CTC Essex Member Group AGM, (see the contacts below), just recently and was made very welcome with lots of friendly interest in my work and a generous helping of delicious food and warm tea.

There’s something extremely life-affirming in being in a room with a group of people who cycle hundreds of miles a year, (in fact, many cycle hundreds of miles a month) and  look every bit as trim and healthy as your average 20 year old athlete.

Now, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many of the key members of CTC in Essex but, as well as being in such august company ranging in age from their 20s to over 80, I was taken by their incredible DEDICATION.

These are the people who organise and arrange rides every weekend to take groups out into the Essex countryside.

They always choose the most pleasant and picturesque routes and always have a stopping point for invariably the best coffee and cake that anyone can discover in the County.

Their planning and preparation is meticulous, even down to spotting poor road surfaces at a particular junction in the wilds of Essex, (Essex can be a bit wild, you know!). That’s because they will have cycled the whole 30, 60, 90 mile route themselves beforehand and their knowledge of routes is encyclopaedic.

What do the groups offer?

The best longer rides you can find with experienced support and encouragement; a friendly welcome and the chance to discover unspoilt parts of Essex ; and. even better, the best cream cakes that you don’t feel guilty about eating, because you’ve burned all the calories off beforehand!

So, go out and enjoy cycling with CTC. And don’t forget to give those unsung heroes your support.

 

Visit the Essex Member Group website.

  • Essex Secretary: Lynda Collins on 01245 320733. You can also email her;
  • Chelmsford: Adrian Leeds on 01245 260272;
  • South East Essex: John Steer on 01702 529638;
  • Havering: Stephen Ingall on 07890 386984. They’ve got a separate website and email;
  • Colchester: Alan Palmer on 01206 792929 / website and email.
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