Thanet RC's Go-Ride sessions are run on a weekly basis at the Marlowe Academy in Ramsgate, under the coaching of Colin Robinson (British Cycling qualified coach) and a number of volunteers from Thanet RC.
The sessions run each Saturday afternoon (for times check the link from the home page or see the latest newsletter). There is a charge of £1.50 per session. If the participant becomes a juvenile member (£6 for the year) then the session price is reduced to £1. Parents must complete the consent form (downloadable below).
Aimed at improving skill levels using GEARS 1,2,3 and 4 of the 'GO RIDE' handbook, with an emphasis on simplicity, instruction is given on all the basic cycling techniques with the goal of helping riders to become confident with their bikes. However, from our experience so far, the best part about it is that it's GREAT FUN for the riders, helpers and the mums and dads! Subjects covered include:
- Mount
- Dismount
- Pedalling
- Cornering
- Braking
- Balance and co-ordination
- Gear Selection
- Group Riding
Colin's plan is also to have inter-club competitions based at Fowlmead every few months, so in order to get the TRC contingent ready for this, Colin is running a weekly time trial which will provide a useful measure of fitness and bike handling improvements over the course of the go-ride scheme. Bookmark this page to see how we’re getting on!
Known as ‘the race of truth’, the time trial is the purest form of cycling competition because it is about an individuals performance on a measured course against the clock, without interference from other competitors. This means that success is measured by improvement against previous results. So come on mums and dads, join TRC and have a go at the ‘race of truth’ yourselves. Our Wednesday evening 10 mile time trials provide a good place to start.
... for the latest update, contact Colin Robinson
Thanet RC says GO RIDE!
"Go-Ride is British Cycling’s Club Development Programme aimed at improving both young riders and clubs. It focuses on volunteers and young members – improving coaching standards and increasing the number of young riders with access to coaching activities. Go-Ride supports the creation of school-club links, which helps provide clubs with a constant influx of new young members and helps everyone work towards our shared vision of more young people, more active, more often in cycling. The success of Go-Ride is dependent upon partnerships between British Cycling, clubs, schools, local authorities and voluntary organisations.
Clubs must already meet certain criteria before joining the programme but along the way they continually work towards improving themselves and achieving ‘best-practice’. Once all the pieces are in place, a club can become Go-Ride Clubmark Accredited.
Schools can easily set up Go-Ride School Clubs and do not need to work towards Go-Ride Clubmark Accreditation. Once a school has a qualified coach willing to offer regular coaching sessions, it is just a short step to establishing an affiliated Go-Ride School Club.
All British Cycling qualified coaches meet a lot of the criteria necessary to become Go-Ride Clubmark Accredited; they have attended a course on Safeguarding and Protecting Children, they have a valid first-aid certificate, and are checked by the Criminal Records Bureau. As such, a lot of clubs who aren’t already working towards Go-Ride Clubmark Accreditation have the necessary training to do so."
