Member's Welcome Pack
Get out and ride...
Introduction
Thank you for joining our club – you are very welcome. This pack, updated for the start of each season, provides an overview of all that we are about so you can get the most from your membership, but please do not hesitate to contact me, or one of the committee, who will be happy to help. We have lots more information available through our document library, including official club documents such as our constitution and terms and conditions. I hope that you enjoy your time riding with us and are able to take part in the wide range of rides, races and events which we organise for our members. We look to maintain the club as a club for our members and therefore do feel you can provide constructive feedback at any time.
Have fun, stay safe and get out and ride!
Pete, Chair
Team Ecosse Northboats
TEN is a welcoming, family friendly club offering inclusive rides, coaching and competitive opportunities for all members regardless of ability, age or ambition.
History
TEN was founded by Pete at the beginning of 2014 in order to bring together like minded people in the area surrounding Inverurie. The club was formed around the ethos of social and safe cycling, ensuring that whatever we arranged and participated in was done with the best behaviours, adhering to the Highway Code and being courteous to other road users….an ethos that remains within the heart of the club today. Pete and the original committee were ambitious with their plans though equally were realistic about expectations and overstretching. The foundations which were built in the early days have been carried through to this day and ensure the growth of the club continues while maintaining the structure.
The club name came from our sponsor Northboats, who were a family run boatbuilder and repairer. The company were a wonderful support for many years and while they are no longer commercially active, they continue to provide valuable time, resource and advice.
Following a steady growth in membership, the committee determined in 2018 that they would establish a youth section within the club. This was an early aim of Pete and the club when it was formed but needed the additional support of a larger membership to make this a reality. TEN Youths are now a Go Ride Clubmark accredited club with a healthy membership with big ambitions for the future.
We have arranged several events for members including the popular Northboats BBQs, youth fun races at the Great Inverurie Bike Ride, various rides and social occasions plus regional road races and time trials.
We are proud of our past and the club which we have built and are enthusiastic for our plans for the future.
Communication
We want our club to be accessible and for any feedback, recommendations or suggestions to reach the right people as soon as possible. We have created a page on this website detailing our key contact email addresses however we also have a Club Feedback option available on the club portal (you'll need to sign in to see this option).
This feedback option allows you to submit a 'ticket' which will then be assigned to the relevant person and you will be able to track the progress of this feedback. We would really encourage members to use this.
But please also remember that we are here to chat and therefore do speak to the ride leaders, coaches or committee and we'll be happy to help.
Details are available on our contacts page however also note that our Welbeing and Protection Officer can be contacted at welfare@tencycling.co.uk.
Club officials
It’s important in any successful club to have willing volunteers to carry out all the various required functions. At TEN this is no different and we are very grateful to all the members who give up their time to support our activities. You will get to know many of these individuals during your time with the club but we want to introduce you to some of them. If you would like to get involved at any stage, please do let us know.
Pete
Chair and Head Coach
Kate
Wellbeing & Protection Officer
Jacqueline
Ride Secretary
Kay
Treasurer
Committee
Pete
Jacqueline
Kate/Stuart
Kay
Ann
Ride leaders
Barry
Craig
Daniel
David
Helen
Jacqueline
Jim
John
John
Julie
Kate Keith
Mark
Olwen
Pete
Rob
Stuart
Coaches
Fiona
Graeme
Leonie
Malcolm
Pete
Sam
Sandy
Details of the role of the ride leader can be found later in this pack.
The Basics
Get Out and Ride
Ride progression
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We want our riders to GET OUT AND RIDE
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We want our ride leaders to be passionate about delivering the ride program to our members
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The ride program will offer clear progression from beginner through to racing (if desired)
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Club rides should be safe, enjoyable and inclusive
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We want members to realise their goals
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We want to retain and increase our membership
TEN Youths
For information on our youth group, please see our youth manual available at www.tencycling.co.uk/coaching
Wellbeing and Protection (Welfare)
As an affiliated club we follow Scottish Cycling’s Wellbeing and Protection Policy. As such the club has a Wellbeing and Protection Officer (WPO) who can be contacted via welfare@tencycling.co.uk. To keep this simple the following is club policy:
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Adult rides are for 18 years and over only
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Youth rides are separate and part of the youth section
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All incidents on club rides, coaching and events must be reported to the WPO and the governing body
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Our club officers will do everything reasonably expected of us in planning and preparation of club rides to ensure the welfare of ride participants
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We expect all adult participants to be responsible for their own wellbeing during the ride and should be prepared for situations such as adverse weather conditions, mechanical problems and flat tyres.
All club rides to which this document refers are for those aged 18 years and over.
Youth group rides and coaching will be defined in the youth section of the club and therefore please see our youth manual for further details.
All the activities within the club are defined under the TEN Constitution, Membership Terms and Conditions and Club Strategy which are all regularly reviewed by the club chair and committee. We would ask that you do familiarise yourself with these documents.
We encourage all our members to treat everyone with courtesy and respect but should anyone witness anything in the club they are not happy with, whether that's during our rides, events or social occasions, please contact a club coach/ride leader, committee member or WPO and we will ensure it is suitably investigated. We want to ensure our Vision is maintained through all our activities and that members feel empowered to raise any concerns.
Insurance
The following summarises the key details however if you are keen to know more, please find details here.
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As a club we are affiliated to Scottish Cycling and therefore qualify for club insurance
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Third party (public) liability insurance with an indemnity limit of £10m
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Third party (public) liability insurance indemnifies the club and its officials against their legal liability for personal injury, death and/or property damage to a third party arising from their negligence
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This covers officials of the club who act on the club's specific instructions and
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Individuals (non-club members) who have been invited to participate in club activities as invitees with a view to joining the club and are not already covered by any other insurance
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Individuals who participate in club activities are not covered and are recommended to get their own third party cover by joining Scottish Cycling
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The club and/or its officials are covered for the organisation and management of a ‘club ride’ both on and off road following Scottish Cycling best practice guidelines
Ride leader role
The Ride Leader is there to deliver a safe, enjoyable and inclusive ride following the principles of GET OUT AND RIDE.
- They will create a ride plan appropriate to the ability of participants
- Communicate the plan to club members using Spond
- Be aware of expectations of individuals and split group according to pace/ability
- Be prepared – carry appropriate equipment including 1st aid kit
- Deliver pre-ride safety brief as efficiently as possible.
- GET RIDING as quickly as possible and incorporate a first mile trial to go through signs, signals and calls
- Dynamic risk assessment whilst on the ride
- Feedback to Ride Secretary any personal / member comments / concerns
- Complete an incident report form, if required and submit to the WPO.
Ride supervisors
To supplement the ride leaders, the ride supervisors are experienced club riders who are able to lead a group during a club ride, without the additional responsibility of planning, briefing and overseeing the rides.
How do they do this?
- Make themselves available for rides by accepting an event in Spond
- Should a ride be split into more than one group, they may be asked to lead one of the groups by the ride leader
- Ensure group rides efficiently, safely and to the target average speed
- Dynamic risk assessment whilst on the ride
- Feedback to Ride Leader any personal / member comments / concerns
Important – while ride leaders and supervisors are there to oversee the rides, each rider/individual is responsible for their own safety and the safety of those around them.
This really is about GET OUT AND RIDE. That’s what we want you and others to be doing. Own the club. Own the rides. Own this pack. GET OUT AND RIDE.
Club rides
What are we trying to achieve?
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Ensure the safety of our members, within reason (cycling is inherently risky)
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Ensure club atmosphere and ethos shine through
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Provide members with clear progression from beginner through to sportives or racing (if desired), including providing appropriate training opportunities
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This dictated by the ability, fitness and desire/goal of the individual
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Participation and progression are the key to encouraging membership retention and growth
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Sufficient ride leaders required for each ride type to ensure their enjoyment and variety.
Key points
All club rides are for those 18 years and over. Those under 18, regardless of competence and/or if accompanied by an adult, should be referred to TEN Youths.
All the club rides, except the welcome ride and ladies ride, are for club members only and riders should have received an invite prior to attending. Any riders attending who are not club members should be requested not to ride with the group, explaining the reason why. In exceptional circumstances (e.g. a rider visiting the area from another club) a non-member may be allowed to ride with the group however this should only be done with prior approval from the ride secretary or other committee member and with the agreement of the ride leader.
All club rides should be conducted in a safe manner and in accordance with the Highway Code. In addition, all riders are responsible for their own well-being during the ride and should be prepared for situations such as adverse weather conditions, mechanical problems and flat tyres and should be courteous to other road users and be aware of their responsibilities while riding in a group.
All club rides are managed by Spond. Further details are available in the relevant documents on the Spond files tab.
All ride groups should be limited to ideally 8 with a maximum of 10.
All riders must have a correctly fitted helmet, a bike in safe working condition with two brakes and working lights (when visibility is reduced due to weather or light).
All riders must adhere to the rider code of conduct.
The following details the specifics of each club ride type.
TEN Welcome Ride
When:
Monday evening (approx. Apr-Sep) or arranged ad hoc as required
Who:
Mandatory for all new riders to the club (except where a lady attends the ladies ride)
Purpose:
Club welcome ride
Average speed as per rider ability (no more than the slowest on the night)
Club introduction
Group riding introduction
Group riding ongoing practice for those who wish to build confidence
A place to discuss rider ability and goals E.g. couch to 50k
Help individuals develop plans to increase distance and bike fitness aligned with club rides
Generally a set route from JG Ross to Fetternear including Fetternear loops
TEN Ladies Ride
When:
Tuesday evenings (approx. Apr-Sep)
Ad hoc rides
Who:
All female members or female riders new to the club (i.e. acting as a welcome ride)
Purpose:
Club ladies ride
Average speed as per rider ability
Focused on presenting ladies with a comfortable environment to either start or progress through cycling E.g. couch to 50k
Support individual goals
Group riding introduction
Group riding ongoing practice for those who wish to build confidence
A place to discuss rider ability and goals
Help individuals develop plans to increase distance and bike fitness
Varied routes to provide appropriate challenge and progress
TEN Social Ride
When:
Wednesday evenings
Saturday mornings
Ad hoc rides
Who:
All members
Purpose:
Club social ride
Aim to ride in a group at a constant average pace
If you can’t talk, you are going too fast!
Groups organised according to pace e.g. 15/20/25/30 kph
Wednesday ride 1 ½ to 2 hrs
Wide range of ability levels
No riders dropped
Groups must be aware of passing slower paced group in a safe manner
The aim is to provide a social atmosphere for progression of members
Progression to be based on ability, fitness and desire of the individual
Saturday:
A café stop is encouraged (phoning ahead if larger groups expected)
Longer ride should not exceed 100km
One off longer rides can be arranged
A shorter option at a slower pace should be accommodated when possible to allow beginners or those with restricted time to have a place to join at the weekend and progress to the longer distances
Additional loops may be added to allow for riders to increase distance
The above must be clearly communicated so that members are not put off by big distance numbers
TEN Training Ride
When:
Thursday evenings
Ad hoc rides - Sunday mornings
Who:
All members
Purpose:
Race Group
Club training ride for ‘race’ group
If you can talk, you are not going fast enough!
Hard effort, fast ride
Average speed likely to be 30kph+
Experience riders looking for performance improvement
Mix of hill climbing, chain gang or long distance
Group splits may occur
All club:
Club training ride for the whole club
Thursday only
Set plan focusing on core elements
Local hill reps – no of reps dictated by rider fitness
Local chain gang e.g. Fetternear triangle
Local sprints / TT’s – different abilities e.g. Fetternear
Group splits may occur but regrouping points should be established
Membership benefits
We want to make this club one for you, our members. As well as the benefits of meeting likeminded people, regular rides and social occasions, we have managed to secure a number of discounts from local businesses which we are sure you will be able to make the most of. We will continually look at updating this list so check back frequently.
Club key fobs
Now you are a member of the club, you can collect your membership fob from Jacqueline, our ride secretary, or at a club ride, coaching session or event. The key fob is yours to keep for the duration of your membership however remains the property of the club and should be returned if you do not renew your membership.
The key fob will allow you to claim the benefits detailed below.
CocoCaramel - handmade chocolate caramels from Aberdeenshire and Scotland - 10% off using code TEN10
Osprey Cycles - local bike maintenance - 10% off all products (1 Apr - 31 Aug). 15% off winter bike servicing (1 Sep - 31 Mar)
Peak Performance Cycle Solutions - bike maintenance and professional bike fitting - 10% off bike fits and 10% off service and repair (bike parts not included)
The Happy Sigh - mindfulness and meditation - 15% off a one to one consultation
JG Ross - local cafe and regular ride start location - 10% off at the Highclere café
Old Post Office tearoom Chapel of Garioch - popular local cafe - loyalty card with 8 stamps for each hot drink. Initial two complementary stamps.
Total Endurance - products, coaching and more - show your key fob in their shop for 10% off
OneLife iD - personal ID products - 15% off using code tencc15
If you experience any difficulty with any of these offers, please contact us via secretary@tencycling.co.uk or via the club portal.
Please remember that these companies are generously offering their support to the club and therefore we would expect you to be respectful, particularly when requesting club discount. Thank you.
Official documents
We have a number of documents covering various policies, guidance and information which are regularly updated including our terms and conditions, constitution and disciplinary process. These can all be found in our files tab of Spond.