There's a ride for everyone at HCC!

Whatever your ability or your preference, you'll find friends to ride with at Hornchurch Cycle Club.

Our club rides are organised with a distance and target pace to help you choose which group is right for you. With the groups available, HCC encourages riders to be honest with their ability and join the ride that is within their fitness level. If you're unsure, join a shorter or slower ride and see how you compare. You can always join a faster group next time.

Think you're too fast for us? Join the grupetto and see how long you last!

If club rides are not for you, that's no problem. HCC is the perfect place for our members to organise their own rides and invite others to join them via the club Whatsapp group chats.

Club Rides

Entry & Social rides

For those new to cycling or just like to keep it social.

Grupetto & Peleton

Faster rides aimed at the stronger club riders. The distance and pace will depend on the ride leader and the group.

Training & Chaingang rides

Group riding to maximise pace - and sweat. Only for the disciplined riders. If you're talking, your not trying hard enough.

Read more about HCC club rides

Where do we Meet?

Unless otherwise publicised, all Club rides start at the car park of the Queen's Theatre, on Billet Lane in Hornchurch.

Please arrive five minutes before the ride, as they leave promptly.

Our Rides

HCC Ride Leaders organise various rides that cater for all abilities. The ride leader dictates the route and sets the average pace to help riders decide which group is the right one.

When you join a ride...

Please respect the ride leader - their job is simply to help the group stay organised and on route. All riders are responsible for their own health & safety. Riders are also responsible for their own bike (carrying spare tubes, puncture repairs etc)

The rides below are offered each week (subject to ride leader availability)

Entry Ride 12-14mph

A ride of 10-12 miles, at around 12 mph aimed at those new to cycling and returning riders. These will usually run midweek evenings in summer and Saturday mornings in the off-season.

Social 14-16mph

The Saturday Social ride goes up to 30 miles and occasionally further with the aim being to take on group riding techniques and push distance.

The ride will stick together and no one will be dropped.

Grupetto & Peleton

The Saturday "Grupetto" and "Peleton" rides are faster rides for people who want to develop themselves into faster riding. These are non-drop rides, but riders are expected to push themselves. This acts as a bridge between Saturday Social riding and longer rides. Usually, the Grupetto rides are a higher pace, but shorter distance - the aim being to improve collaborative and closer group riding for those taking part.

The nature of this ride puts a greater expectation on the standard of riding within a group. The aim being for a group to maintain a higher average speed through draughting and rotation than could be maintained as individuals.

Sunday Rides

On Sunday we run our main Club ride with medium and fast rides when numbers allow, sometimes with a Social paced ride too.

Riders are expected to review the route distance, speed and climbs to ensure they are capable, for both themselves and the group they'll ride with. While the group will stop for mechanicals and punctures, please consider the group before starting if you think it is beyond your ability.

Faster/Training Rides 18MPH+

Weekend and evening training rides are organised as weather and light permits.

Chaingangs aim to maximise pace with close, disciplined riding. Operated in a few different styles; including Hare & Hounds; whereby the hares are chased down by the hounds to exercise two different packs of speed. A great incentive to push as hard as you can!

Racing

The last few years have seen our members race at various venues including those of the Dunton Ford Cycle Club and Redbridge Cycle Centre at Hog Hill. 

If you are looking to get into racing and establishing yourself in the local scene, please speak to us.

Sportives

We encourage all of our members to enter sportives and challenge themselves to improve.

Our HCC event calendar helps our members to organise groups to get to events and ride together. 

Doug & Trevor are both British Cycling coaches.

HCC (Retro kit) dominating a race at Dunton in 2017