How many of us here are members of the CTC?

[grahame]

I've been a member since about 1985. The third party insurance (required by my club for going on their rides) is one reason, the legal cover is another, and the grass roots campaigning is the icing on the cake. Add to that the fact that, unlike BC, they have never tacitly condoned doping, and you have plenty of reasons to join.

 

[joe careless]

This feedback is really good, please keep commenting.

 

[velomaniac]

When fit and healthy and actively touring I was a CTC member and lead as well as participated in many road runs. A period of ill health took me away from distance stuff untill all I found my self doing was short commutes and mainly off road riding and thus I no longer seen the point and left the organisation. I do intend to rejoin eventually but have issue with some of their politics and campaigns but at least I can vote against what I dont like. Better to be in with a vote as opposed to out and no say when they badger politicians into following their agenda. I dont agree with the idea that motorists should be liable in bike/car incidents automatically as they have in Europe and that the CTC wants in case you wonder at the politics statement.

 

[danson67]

Yes, I do wish that they'd remained a club-based sport/leisure organisation. The recent legal status change from membership based club to "national cycling charity" has made me less keen.

However, I do recognise the need for there to be an organisation acting as an overarching cycling lobbying/interest body independent of government funding/QUANGO involvement and nobody else has been in there to fight on cyclists' side in general.
Somebody needs to do it and the CTC is the closest we have at the moment.

Motorists and the road lobby have the AA, RAC, FTA, etc. There's even Pedestrian Liberation campaigning on their side out there.

BC have very much a 'cycling as sports' agenda backed by government funding dependant on elite medals won, while doing little to stop club level racing being driven off public roads by lack of availability of event insurance and Police opposition. Cycling events are being taken over by private enterprise (Sportives etc.) while other cycling charities, such as Sustrans, Cycling For All etc. each with their own little niche, have little interest in touring, leisure or sport.

All the best,

 

[ajm]

I was, ten years ago - primarily for the insurance cover. However, the one time I actually needed it I discovered the excess was so huge it was utterly pointless and that was the end of that. I never got anything else worthwhile out of the membership at all and wouldn't even think about rejoining.

I was also a member of the RSF - not a member of that now either but at least I enjoyed reading their newsletter, it was always a bit of inspiration and meshed better with my idea of cycling.

 

[Salsprocket]

Recently cancelled my membership - I can't justify the £60+ cost. I've had the 'it's good value' debate and I still cannot justify the cost. :?

£41

£66 for two adults at the same address - and you have to request a second membership card for the other person; the one you are sent gives no indication that a joint membership has been taken out. No offence to CTC but I just decided there is a limited budget for regular charity donations so had to choose which to cancel and which to keep.

 

[joe careless]

Would you like a greater (more obvious) mtb representation within the CTC?

 

[DA-EVO]

Would you like a greater (more obvious) mtb representation within the CTC?

Yes, but at a national level (campaigning) and at a local level (rides).

 

[JamesM]

I've been a member for around 6 years, mainly for the insurance and legal advice but I also quite like the magazine.

 

[pigman]

I joined in the 70's as a schoolkid to join an organisation that had led rides beyond my back door. Despite riding a bike that was no better than a BSO, with cut down jeans and a baggy wool jersey, they were some of the best and most exciting rides I had on a bike. Becasue i wasn't prepared, they were also some of the (to me then) longest, hardest and most bonked-out rides I've ever had, but I came back for more. I've been a member ever since except for most of the 80's when I needed a racing licence, so wasnt going to pay both them and BC. After my racing "career" rejoined CTC. I mainily join cos as a responsible road user I want 3rd party insurance and legal aid to help me should i need it, either arising out of accident or some unfair prosecution (due to riding non matching tyres). And they are the organisation that best support the urban cyclist. I'd quite hapily pay £10 less to forgo the mag tho.

The organisation these days is not what it was back then in terms of local activity. Back then we had Easy riders, which was basically teenagers taken out by an adult all day, social section which was adults, couples, tandems etc, at a social pace with a pub lunch, family section which was trailers, kiddy seats etc and hard riders which was a hard racing run on bikes with mudguards and each of these might have had 20-30 riders every week. Nowadays there is a midweek evening beginners ride with a couple of shandies thrown in, in summer, which i go on for social reasons - all types of bike, both sexes, all ages and I do one or two sunday rides if its one billed as hard and all day long. There is only one sunday ride and that is usually an easy one catering for relative beginners, so my activity is limited.