Want to know more?
What is GICC?
- GICC (Glasgow Inclusive Cycle Club) is a queer run cycle club based in Glasgow. We offer weekly rides to those who have struggled to find a suitable club to ride with. We are volunteer run and have no membership fee.
- We offer 3 different ride difficulties each month, they are:
Wee Jaunt – 13-26 miles at a social pace, mostly cycle route or lanes.
Half Measure – 30-50 miles, road cycling at a moderate pace.
Full Send – 45+ miles of road cycling at a faster pace riding as a pack. - We welcome anyone regardless of ability, just make sure you choose the correct ride difficulty for you. A polite reminder that we are not a ‘first-steps’ club so you do need to be able to ride a bike and be confident on the roads or cycle lanes.
What do i need to do before joining a GICC ride?
- Click ‘Attending’ on Spond for that ride before the day of the event. (see your welcome email for links to Spond)
- Checked the planned route to ensure you are capable of completing the ride. All routes show the total distance, elevation and suggested fitness type on Komoot. Routes are published ahead of time on the Spond event page.
- You are able to join us at the starting point at the scheduled time to start the ride. Any people that are joining along the way will not receive the ride briefing and will be asked to join the group at the back. It is not always safe to stop a large group on the road to receive anyone joining.
- All rides are a meetup of individual cyclists and are not run by the club. Everyone should have their own insurance to cover themselves and their bikes in case of an accident.
- We typically run one ride on a Wednesday night (during summer) and one on a Saturday morning. These vary in difficulty every week so please check Spond for upcoming routes that suite you.
What should i bring with me?
- A well maintained bike with working brakes & gears.
- A helmet that fits properly along with gloves (half gloves in summer) and sunglasses.
- A phone that has access to our Spond/Komoot/Whatsapp chat in case you get lost of have a mechanical issue which requires assistance.
- Water bottle with water (isotonic/caffeine tablets on longer rides)
- A spare inner tube, puncture kit. Even if you don’t know how to use them, someone will help!
- A bell for your bike. Especially on cycle paths which are shared by pedestrians. Everyone should ring their bell to alert other path users.
- Both front and rear bike lights (even in summer it can be useful during rain storms and dark periods)
- Appropriate clothing (if its chilly please dont turn up in shorts & t-shirt unless you know you’ll be warm enough)
- A waterproof layer (even in summer those showers can come out of nowhere, carrying extra layers is always recommended)
- A bank card or cash to use at any stop and also if the worst was to happen, a taxi/train home.
What happens on a GICC ride?
- Follow the rules of the Highway Code and be curteous to other road users and pedestrians.
- Indicate turns by sticking your arm out to point the intended direction of travel. Alternatively shouting the direction can be used for those less able.
- If we are cycling on the road, follow the rules of the road and obey traffic lights and give-way signage.
- Point out potholes and road issues to other members by pointing at the issue and shouting POTHOLE, GLASS, DOG etc.
- Stay hydrated, make sure you’re taking sips of water every 30 minutes.
- Bring snacks you can eat on the way, maybe some jelly babies or haribo sweeties to keep energy up.
- Be aware of your surroundings and only cycle in single file on shared paths and double up on roads where possible.
Are there any stops on GICC rides?
- We stop for no more than 30 minutes so we keep our legs warm during our social/wee jaunt rides.
- Half Measure and Full Send rides might not have any stops and the idea is that after the route we re-group at The Social Hub for coffee/cakes.
- Bring a bike lock so bikes can be left outside. If you need to double up on locks, most riders are more than accommodating to this.
- Any stops will be at small cafes, so its not possible to all sit inside. This means alot of cafe/break stops on Wee Jaunts will be outside in the elements. Please consider this.
- Keep stops as short as possible to get back to Glasgow in good time, please remember these are stops in the middle of a cycle ride and not an outing to have a full pub lunch.
- Most of the time the stops will have toilet facilities, however not always. Comfort breaks might need to be arranged on an ad-hoc basis. Let a ride lead know if you’re peeling off for a break and we can try to find the nearest location.
- Before leaving a stop, check your tyres are ok, you have all your belongings and that you have paid for any services.
- Let a ride lead know if you plan to peel away from the group before we get back to the starting point. It’s 100% alright to do this however we need to know just so we don’t think you’re lost.
- During a ride we will often have to stop at traffic lights. This is your chance to grab a drink and maybe a bite of an energy gel or bar.
What about after a ride has finished?
- Finish the ride back at the starting point (usually The Social Hub in merchant city, Glasgow)
- Some people may wish to head straight home if its easier than going back to Glasgow city centre. This is fine, just post a comment on Spond when your home safe.
- We will sometimes grab a coffee or snack in The Social Hub (summer time there will be an outdoor café we can sit at for drinks)
- We will let you know details of the following weeks rides & events before people start going their separate ways.
- Inevitably the larger the group size, the longer the ride will take. If you need to be back home for a certain time please check Komoot and asses your situation. We would usually say to anyone who needs to get back to Glasgow for something important to skip the ride that day. Weather, punctures, mechanicals, closed roads etc can delay us by minutes/hours.
Any non-cycling events?
- As a cycle club we ask that members attend as many rides as they can. We are a sports club, not a social club, although we do have the occasional social event for our riders. You must have attended at least 1 ride with us to attend a social.
- These are all posted on Spond so you have full visibility. There is also a ‘Socials’ channel on our WhatApp group where riders sometimes plan last minute events and gatherings. Whatsapp links will be provided after your 1st ride with the club, we have had to do this as many people were signing up and joining chats but never coming to rides.
- For social events we would ask that you have attended at least one recent ride before coming along. We try to vary the type of events, sometimes its a coffeeshop social or sometimes it can be going for food & drinks. Sometimes even just going along to watch other LGBT clubs & sports.
- The club was started as a way of letting people find others who want to go and cycle. This has quickly developed into a safe space where people can meet new friends and geek out over the sport of cycling.
I’m a fair-weather cyclist, am i welcome?
- Of course! some of our members hibernate over the winter when it gets colder. The club keeps going with Saturday rides all year and also supplemental indoor activities like velodrome and spin classes.
- We have a page dedicated to winter cycling and cold weather here, be sure to check it out.
- https://inclusivecycleclub.co.uk/autumn-winter-ride-advice/