South Dartmoor CTC
|
|
|
|
Help! I’ve never done this before! So you’re aged 10-17 and you’ve got a bike, but you’ve never cycled much before and you don’t know the first thing about bike maintenance. You’ve read about the Club’s exciting rides to beaches, moorland tracks and youth hostels, and you’re maybe even interested in joining one of our summer cycling tours, but you don’t see how you could possibly take part in all the fun this side of 2010! The Junior Training Programme is the answer. Launched in January 2003 the scheme starts you on easy local rides and builds you up quickly and easily through progressively more adventurous rides every week until you are passed out as a fully fledged cyclist in double quick time. The Programme is divided into eight key stages and charts your progress towards each stage with points which are awarded for targets achieved. You’ll reach new levels of cycling adventure within each stage, and get a signed certificate as your entry ticket to the next stage. You’ll be totally amazed how quickly you progress through the first four stages—if you attend every week and the weather is favourable you could complete the them within 8 weeks. Then you’ll be ready to start on stages 5-8 and take part in the Club’s complete programme of day rides, weekends and tours. How the Programme works Once you have enrolled for the scheme you attend weekly cycle rides that take place every Sunday (and on Friday evenings from April to September). Points are awarded on every ride towards your current targets. On any Sundays where there is continuous rain, a badminton or swimming session can be organised to maintain fitness. Computer games are regularly offered after the rides, and also on Friday evening socials that are organised weekly until the end of March. As you progress to Stage 2 you will also be able to take part in longer Sunday rides. Each stage consists of five targets that have to be achieved. The Destination target specifies a particular type of destination that you must have reached on one of your rides. The Distance and Off-Road targets specify minimum total and off-road distances to be ridden on one of your rides. The Workshop target specifies minimum standards of cycle maintenance to be reached, from oiling a chain up to re-greasing your hubs. Progress towards Workshop targets can be made either on rides, at winter social evenings or by special arrangement with the Programme organiser, Michael Jones. You will be told what tools and materials you need to buy for each stage. Finally, the attendance target specifies a minimum number of rides that must be completed. You get 10 attendance points for every ride you attend. Once all targets for a stage have been completed, you get a certificate and can then start working towards the next stage. The targets required for each stage are summarised below.
Your progress within the Programme is recorded in the JTP mark sheet, which is permanently displayed on the Club’s web site. Printed versions of the table are produced from time to time, but the master copy on the web is updated after every ride. The mark sheet shows your progress towards each stage, and your total attendance to date. Once you have completed stage 3 you are eligible to take part in youth hostel weekends, and after Stage 4 you can sign up for your first introductory tour of 3-4 days, usually organised every Easter. You'll then be able to progress through stages 5 to 8 which will complete your training and pass you out as a full, experienced member of the club. At this point you will be able to take part in any of our activities, including our extended summer tours to the UK and abroad. What do I need to bring on the rides? Shorts are best for cycling, as they don’t catch in the chain, they don’t make you sweat and they don’t drag you down if they get wet. A pair of warm gloves is essential on cold winter days, and a thin showerproof coat is sensible if there is a chance of a shower. You should aim to bring £2 with you on each ride: you can use this to buy discounted refreshments if you get hungry, or to pay for a café stop, or to pay for badminton if the ride is called off because of rain. How do I sign up? You need to supply us with a completed parental consent form before you can take part in any of our activities. If you have a PC you can print this off from our web site, otheriwse you can telephone the club organiser, Michael Jones, to receive a printed copy. Once you have completed the form you can enrol for the scheme whenever you like. Once you have enrolled, try not to miss any of the training rides if you can help it, so that you make the fastest possible progress through the various stages of the scheme. Remember, any ride missed loses you some crucial fitness that you will need to complete the stage. There’s nothing quite like cycling for keeping you fit, making new friends, seeing the countryside and just having fun. We look forward to welcoming you on your first training ride. |
|
Send mail to click here
with questions or comments about this web site.
|