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?

 

[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

 

[Hippy]

"hippy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> 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!

and having just typed that it clicked that you said Frankston and Beach Rd. DUH!!! (so much for this
low-GI thang! )

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?

 

[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]

Do you or anyone else know the pros and cons of SKCC vs Carnegie? [/B]

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.

 

[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]

Originally posted by Rickster 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.
[/B]

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..).