I’ll give an update to my club,
We have continued to grow since I posted this. This past year our active riders have grown significantly. We have about 160 members on Facebook, and 80 or so on Strava.
Looking back on it, these were the keys to our growth:
- Starting the club with 3 or 4 people.
- Creating a Facebook group and Strava group.
- Posting our rides to those groups weekly (during lockdown we did a strava segment challenge that worked out great).
- Created a facebook group chat with guys you click with. Keep it active with ride ideas etc…
- Designed a kit (We use Pactimo).
- Reached out to other clubs and offer to host joint rides.
- Asked others to host rides around where they live to keep it fresh and increase your reach.
- Listen to the advice of people who show up. Altering routes etc. has made our weekly ride a better fit for everyone.
- Keeping it chill, free, and open to everyone.
There are some things I’ve learned…
- The usa cycling membership isn’t worth the money.
- Insurance is expensive and I’m not sure it covers anything (yeah, I said it!). I’m glad I didn’t let this hurdle stop me from starting the club.
- Some people are just assholes. They will create drama. They will try to take you down, steal riders, say bad things about you, etc. Just remember for every asshole there are like 20 great people, so it’s worth it.
- Lots of people just like riding alone, don’t take it personally.
Hope that helps someone. Starting a club has been the most rewarding bike related thing I have ever done. It has connected me to all kinds of great people in my town and has definitely made me a more dedicated rider.