After forming BCC in the summer and now having 8 rides (9 including a MTB run) lessons have been learned, things have changed things are becoming more organized and the ‘stage 2’ of the club starts in the new year, BCC is still a free to ride club, we still however ask that riders consider coverage from British Cycling or suchlike.

The only costs so far have been a web domain name, a ‘club phone’ and soon jerseys (and cake too on the rides). We hope to keep costs minimal. Of course in the future like other clubs we may have to make a few quid here and there to help out with things but that’s to be avoided as best as possible.

We had 10 on our 1st ever ride, then have had between 5-9 on most rides, our best one being 15 (where lessons were learned about route planning etc) We are new, we are always learning, feedback was taken, feedback was listened to, and people are coming back, we have a healthy base membership, and we want to build on that, encourage new people to take up cycling, when we have more people we can offer various rides, smaller ones, faster ones, (think like a sportive with a A,B & C route but eveevryone meets in the end!) skill set training… all ideas, all possible with more people, more experience more people networking and engaging over a common passion of cycling…. possibilities are endless.

This fits nicely into some of our plans, we wish to plan all rides online using facebook (and twitter).

We want to make greater use of the events option on facebook and centre most of our activity there, we hope to have a website running soon which is solely for news, and information, the real ‘hub’ will still be our social media. We will use Garmin Connect to plan routes and give electronic means, as well as find a way to produce paper maps and route cards for those who want to print them.

The second thing is we want to use and promote locally already the fantastic management at La Taverna have offered us the use of their car park to meet, all we as a club ask is we have a few riders come in to say thanks in the way of buying a drink, it’s also worth coming back for the main food menu as the Tapas and Chicken is fantastically done.

We have also got contact with The Cycle Pad who are a local company which list all things bike int he area, we hope to work with them and already they are in a position to offer us contacts and free promotion. Early days yet but hopefully another thing that can be utilized.

For our jersey we have chose Pedalling Squares, a local company who create retro jerseys and have very kindly designed and are to produce a jersey for BCC. We hope to go back to them and possibly extend our range of jerseys for special occasions, or get other items created. Again this is only the start.

We want to hear from other local businesses…. if you are a North East Cafe, cake stop, or can offer us anything we can use, we’ll try and push people your way, bike shops, you name it. we want to have a directory of local bike friendly merchants.This is all to come in 2014 and at the moment is very much planning.

Final thought for the moment is our partners, riders and anyone connected with the club… Hashtags are the new ID online, all the big sites use them, whenever you have a Blaydon Cycling post the hash #BlaydonCycling can be used, be this a tweet, a facebook post, an Instagram or a special offer. hopefully the tag can unite anything of interest to club members.

 

if anyone has any suggestions, plans, ideas, thoughts please add them below, email us, or have a word on a ride, the club is being moulded by its members and I would like to think 2014 is going to be a great year for us, new members, new rides, lots of miles, a good laugh and most importantly continuing our two wheel quest for the best cake in the north.