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How old do you have to be to join in the
club's activities?
There is no minimum age for Beacon membership. Young people
can join in the club's activities as soon as they are ready
to, and (where relevant) as soon as the rules of the event
allow.
Racing
The sport's various governing bodies each have their own
rules governing the minimum age for participation in different
types of race. You will need to consult the governing body
in question; if you need any assistance with this, get in
touch via our Contact page.
Club runs and other group rides
A young cyclist is welcome to join one of the Beacon's group
rides when his or her parents judge that he or she is mature
enough to cope with traffic and strong enough to complete
the ride. However, those under the age of 16 must be accompanied
by an adult parent or guardian. Our monthly introductory
rides should be within the capabilities of youngsters
who are already used to riding for, say, at least an hour
at maybe 10 to 12 mph. To complete one of our other regular
rides, a young cyclist needs to be used to riding further
and faster; see the club
runs page for details. A fit youngster with the relevant
experience might be able to complete an introductory ride
at twelve to fourteen, and a Sunday club run at fifteen or
sixteen; but, of course, everyone is different. Members with
younger children sometimes take part in club rides on tandems.
Most youngsters find the experience of joining in a club
ride less daunting if a parent or another trusted adult comes
along, at least to begin with. If anybody of ages 16 - 17
takes part unaccompanied, the run leader needs to know he
or she is there with parental consent. The young person and
his/her parents should also to take a look at our club run
guidelines and complete a Young
Rider Information and Consent Form and hand this to the
leader on their first ride. It is particularly important that
everyone concerned understands that a Beacon ride is simply
a group of friends on a joint excursion; we look out for each
other, as friends do, but there isn't an organiser with legal
responsibility for the rest.
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