We have four different types of Club rides and our normal riding days are Wednesday and Sunday. Our rides leave from outside the Swan Pool Leisure Centre, London Road (map) - please see the Ride Leaders Schedule below for the departure times for a particular ride. Each ride is led by one of the club's Ride Leaders and adheres to the Club Rules and Riding Guide.
If this is your first outing with the Swan Wheelers, then please check out our information on what to expect on your first Club ride.
For our Ride Leaders and for anyone wishing to step-up and help us with this important role please have a read through our Ride Leader Handbook which will help & support you.
Our Club also fully supports the British Cycling Breeze Programme which organises bike rides for women of all abilities. We are fortunate to have two Qualified Breeze Champions, Glynnis Eastwood and Kirsty Corcoran who lead these rides for our Club.
Click on the hyperlinks to view more information
If this is your first outing with the Swan Wheelers, then please check out our information on what to expect on your first Club ride.
For our Ride Leaders and for anyone wishing to step-up and help us with this important role please have a read through our Ride Leader Handbook which will help & support you.
Our Club also fully supports the British Cycling Breeze Programme which organises bike rides for women of all abilities. We are fortunate to have two Qualified Breeze Champions, Glynnis Eastwood and Kirsty Corcoran who lead these rides for our Club.
Click on the hyperlinks to view more information
RIDE ATTENDEES NOTICE
Our Club rides generally do not have British Cycling qualified leaders, just experienced Club members giving something back!
Your contact & ICE (In Case of Emergency) details will be added to a Ride Sheet. You accept that you are taking part in the Club ride, and that you will follow the instructions given for your & the ride group safety. Whilst Ride Leaders will ensure that your ride experience is as safe and enjoyable for all as is reasonably possible, offering to lead a ride does not make the Ride Leader responsible for the actions of others.
Through the SWCC membership of British Cycling we have £20m Liability Insurance related to Club activities. Our Committee members and other officials of the Club are covered by this BC Liability insurance cover. This includes Ride Leaders who are considered to be Club officials when appointed to run a Club ride, and who are covered for decisions and actions regarding the route and the ride itself. The Ride Leader is not covered for personal decisions and actions during the ride. Details of the Club insurance policy can be found here on the British Cycling website.
Participation in our Club rides and other events is at your own risk and you are strongly advised to obtain Liability Insurance cover. This can be obtained from the likes of British Cycling (Member or Premium), Cycling UK and other sources.
Our Club rides generally do not have British Cycling qualified leaders, just experienced Club members giving something back!
Your contact & ICE (In Case of Emergency) details will be added to a Ride Sheet. You accept that you are taking part in the Club ride, and that you will follow the instructions given for your & the ride group safety. Whilst Ride Leaders will ensure that your ride experience is as safe and enjoyable for all as is reasonably possible, offering to lead a ride does not make the Ride Leader responsible for the actions of others.
Through the SWCC membership of British Cycling we have £20m Liability Insurance related to Club activities. Our Committee members and other officials of the Club are covered by this BC Liability insurance cover. This includes Ride Leaders who are considered to be Club officials when appointed to run a Club ride, and who are covered for decisions and actions regarding the route and the ride itself. The Ride Leader is not covered for personal decisions and actions during the ride. Details of the Club insurance policy can be found here on the British Cycling website.
Participation in our Club rides and other events is at your own risk and you are strongly advised to obtain Liability Insurance cover. This can be obtained from the likes of British Cycling (Member or Premium), Cycling UK and other sources.
Ride SAFETY Notice: We're a pretty hardy bunch and can be found riding in most weathers, but sometimes the Great British weather just makes it too dangerous for safety reasons for us to head out. In cases where the winds are high or it's too icy* for example, the Ride Leaders will check weather conditions 24 hours ahead, if conditions are looking too dangerous to ride a cancellation notice will be posted on their forum ride post, typically one hour ahead of their start time, but please note that this has even happened during a ride!
When low temperatures are forecasted our guideline is when the mercury drops *below 3° we will generally cancel all rides after taking into account other conditions before any cancellations.
When windy gusty conditions are forecasted, say >30mph the Ride Leaders will consider other criteria like the rider capabilities of the attendees and other conditions before any cancellations
When windy gusty conditions are forecasted, say >30mph the Ride Leaders will consider other criteria like the rider capabilities of the attendees and other conditions before any cancellations
The final decision of course is always YOURS, so if either of the above conditions applies and you are not comfortable with them then head for the Ride Forum, hit the ‘I Can’t Make It’ button in the ride posted and stay at home, we’ll look forward to seeing you on your next ride with the club.
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Guide to the ride types
The information below outlines the ride types but if you're not sure which one to join, please have a chat with one of the ride leaders or contact us.
During the summer many of the group A riders ride sportives or race at the weekend, so it’ll sometimes just be the B and C groups heading out. If there are faster riders, they’ll ride with the B group but at a pace that will not cause the group to split. Leisure Rides are also on the calendar one the first week of the month.
During the summer many of the group A riders ride sportives or race at the weekend, so it’ll sometimes just be the B and C groups heading out. If there are faster riders, they’ll ride with the B group but at a pace that will not cause the group to split. Leisure Rides are also on the calendar one the first week of the month.
Group CPerfect for those wanting a steady and social ride. It's also a good one to join if you're new to cycling or haven't ridden in a while.
Pace: 13 -15 mph over a general distance of 30-40 miles, we do adapt the pace and distance to suit the riders attending - it’s important to us that everyone enjoys themselves. Generally over easier terrain although participants should expect to encounter the occasional hill. Expect a up to a 3 hour ride & allow a little more time for that slice of cake at the café. Group riding: This group will not ordinarily practice rider rotation, although other aspects of riding style, particularly safety will apply - please see the club rules. Café stop included. |
Group BGood for fitter and more experienced cyclists who still want to make the most of the social aspects of a club ride, whilst riding maybe at a quicker pace.
Pace: 15-17mph over a typical distance of 40 - 55 miles over mixed terrain: hillier rides will be at the lower end of the distance and vice versa for flatter rides. Expect to be out for up to 4 hours including a café stop. Group riding: As you grow in experience and fitness, participants are expected to take some turns on the front by the rotation of the group. For larger numbers of attendees >8 will see a ride split into 2 different groups, generally at different speeds within the 15-17 mph band. Café stop included. |
Group AAimed at experienced cyclists who can ride comfortably and consistently at a 17mph plus pace.
The ride distances from 50 miles plus over mixed terrain sometimes with a significant amount of climbing. Expect to be out for up to 4 hours including a café stop. Group riding: Expect regular rider rotation and some more intense efforts when planned by the ride leader. If you are not sure you will be able to keep a steady pace it's recommended that you try a ride with group B first. Café stop included. |
Midweek social ride
The Midweek Club ride is run at a average pace over a 35-40 mile distance, typically on a Wednesday. This generally has >8 attendees with a mix of abilities so will be ridden with two/three groups based all on the fitness and experience of the participants on the day . The main focus, however, is for a relaxed, social ride and a café stop that is always included.
Leisure rides
For the Summer of 2025 we are looking to run Leisure rides a couple of times a month, these are generally a 20'ish mile ride distance, specifically for the less experienced or less able people looking to enjoy a more leisurely social ride to a local café at a pace to suit the group on the day, no need to wear Lycra if that’s not your thing and a hybrid bike is perfectly suitable for a road ride on our quiet country lanes
Breeze rides
It doesn’t matter if you’re young at heart, wise beyond your years, or baffled by gears. Every woman is welcome on a Breeze ride! You’ll discover new places to ride, gain confidence in a group, make new friends – all whilst having fun.
We are fortunate to have two Qualified Breeze Champions, Glynnis Eastwood and Kirsty Corcoran who lead these rides for our Club.
To find out what Breeze rides are taking place go to British Cycling Let's Ride
All Breeze riders are welcome at Club events and whole Club meet ups. Many go on to become members of our Club, but this is not a requirement.
We are fortunate to have two Qualified Breeze Champions, Glynnis Eastwood and Kirsty Corcoran who lead these rides for our Club.
To find out what Breeze rides are taking place go to British Cycling Let's Ride
All Breeze riders are welcome at Club events and whole Club meet ups. Many go on to become members of our Club, but this is not a requirement.
Your first Swan Wheelers club ride |
Thinking of joining us for a ride? This section aims to outline what you need to bring and what to expect
All our rides start from the Swan Pool Leisure Centre, London Road Buckingham (see Map)
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Any questions? |
Joining a cycle club ride for the first time can be both exciting and apprehensive. The Ride Leader will provide a quick introduction to him/herself and the other riders on the ride, an introduction to the route and some tips on riding as a group. During the ride the Ride Leader will continue to offer support and guidance as appropriate and will make sure no one gets left behind.
Non members can join up to three rides before we would ask you to join. If you have any queries, please do get in touch with us. Our details are on the contact page. We look forward to seeing you on a ride soon. |
The SWCC HEAT-MAP
As a bit of an experiment we have been using anonymous Strava data to create a “heat-map” of all the club rides for 2019. The brighter the colour, the more often we ride in that area. As you can see, we get about a bit.
Thanks to Jonathan O'Keefe for the tools - If you use Strava, you can make your own at: www.jonathanokeeffe.com/strava/map.php
Thanks to Jonathan O'Keefe for the tools - If you use Strava, you can make your own at: www.jonathanokeeffe.com/strava/map.php
ALL CONTENT © 2018. SWAN WHEELERS CYCLING CLUB UNLESS OTHERWISE MARKED
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