Melbourne Road racing/clubs

[Stuart Verrier]

32 year old bloke blows out his knees playing basketball too long so
decides to get back into cycling. The memories of what to do are all
there from 12 years ago but the physical side requires more work. I've
been doing the Saturday morning Beach Road thing for the past few
months and slip into the 40km/h packs down to Frankston and back and
feel relatively comfortable although god help me if they threw me up
the front.

At this sort of standard has anyone got any recommendations of how to
get into the road racing scene? I obviously want to start at the bottom
and take it from there but have no idea where to start. Can anyone
recommend the appropriate club(s) to join that allows this entry level
but is big enough to stay with as hopefully the standard improves?

Can you actually race as an individual with no club membership?



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[hippy]

"Stuart Verrier" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> At this sort of standard has anyone got any recommendations of how to
> get into the road racing scene? I obviously want to start at the
bottom
> and take it from there but have no idea where to start. Can anyone
> recommend the appropriate club(s) to join that allows this entry level
> but is big enough to stay with as hopefully the standard improves?
>
> Can you actually race as an individual with no club membership?

Where do you live?
Contact the nearest club and arrange a 3-race license for about
$33. This will let you race 3 times. After that you will need to
join a club (6 month or 12 month membership avail.)

Here's some Melbourne clubs:
http://www.blackburncycling.org.au/
http://www.carnegiecycling.com.au/
http://www.coburgcycling.com/
http://www.barnstone.net/hcc/
http://www.skcc.com.au/

No doubt you're in Sydney!
hippy

 

[Stuart Verrier]

No! I am a Melbourne Boy. St Kilda and Carnegie were my main two
thoughts given that's the area I like to ride and the guys I ride with
are in that general area, even though I am in Thornbury.

Do you or anyone else know the pros and cons of SKCC vs Carnegie?



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[hippy]

"Stuart Verrier" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> No! I am a Melbourne Boy. St Kilda and Carnegie were my main two
> thoughts given that's the area I like to ride and the guys I ride with
> are in that general area, even though I am in Thornbury.
>
> Do you or anyone else know the pros and cons of SKCC vs Carnegie?

Sorry, I'm a Blackburn CC member. I know SKCC 'used' to run crits
and Carnegie does or did run them at Springvale as well as Mulgrave.
From what I've seen, Carnegie "seems" to be the biggest club, if that's
what makes you happy...it's why I joined Blackburn
Blackburn runs crits at METEC and road races in the Dandenongs
amongst other places.
Some of the other posters will know more about the two clubs you
mentioned - but check out their sites and see how many races they
run, what services they offer, etc.
Or, join the one with your riding buddies in it.

hippy

 

[Shabby]

wrote:
> Do you or anyone else know the pros and cons of SKCC vs Carnegie?



SKCC don't have a track, Carnegie do but it's not a proper one (the
banks are constant all the way around).

SKCC have more chicks, Carnegie have more races. SKCC seems to be more
social (ie. Cafe Racer types) whereas Carnegie is more racing
orientated.

I think SKCC was more expensive to join, probably because carnegie make
their money from races.

Much of a muchness, everyone races together anyway. Go wherever you have
some friends.



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[rickster]

Shabby <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> wrote:
> > Do you or anyone else know the pros and cons of SKCC vs Carnegie?
>
>
>
> SKCC don't have a track, Carnegie do but it's not a proper one (the
> banks are constant all the way around).
>
> SKCC have more chicks, Carnegie have more races. SKCC seems to be more
> social (ie. Cafe Racer types) whereas Carnegie is more racing
> orientated.
>
> I think SKCC was more expensive to join, probably because carnegie make
> their money from races.
>
> Much of a muchness, everyone races together anyway. Go wherever you have
> some friends.


Don't join SKCC, amongst the other clubs they are not so popular,
essentially at the commitee level. Something to do with not pulling
there weight during the winter road season, but running crits all
summer, and crit racing is the bread and butter of local clubs.

I've heard the were only allowed "admission" by the other clubs on the
proviso that they were only to run a very limited crit season. If the
chose to run a longer summer season (which they do) they were to host
road races during winter, which they do, but on a pissy scale (what
one race this year ?). Their members sponge of the other clubs. Ask
any club committee member what it's like to get permits for a road
race in Victoria and why all clubs should carry the burden, which SKCC
don't.

 

[Shabby]

Rickster wrote:
> Something to do with not pulling there weight during the winter road
> season, but running crits all summer, and crit racing is the bread and
> butter of local clubs.



Just to clarify, they didn't even run them all summer, they lost their
permit in Feb last year. To get it back they're going to need something
like 15 marshalls at every race, and the committee is talking about
charging extra for races to pay people to be marshalls.

Blackburn and Carnegie are the two clubs who are doing the most to keep
the sport alive under tough conditions (public liability etc..).



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