You know how vulnerable you feel when you ride on your own on a South African road or public-land trail? It’s not a great feeling, but unfortunately, it’s part of being a bicycle rider in this country. Cycle Lab Active places rider safety above all else. In fact, there are many other benefits of joining the Cycle Lab Active community in your area. Here’s exactly what those benefits are.
SAFETY
As meditative as it may be, riding your bicycle alone in this country is risky. Being isolated on your mountain bike makes you a very attractive target for criminals, while riding alone on the road makes you vulnerable to both criminals and selfish/drunk/unlicensed motor vehicle drivers. Cycle Lab Active offers group rides that are split into different speeds/strengths. This means that no matter what your cycling level, there is a group that you can join to ensure you don’t ride alone.
GUIDED RIDES Cycle Lab Active trains selected members to become Group Leaders. Usually wearing the Cycle Lab Active Yellow Jersey, Group Leaders are tasked with ensuring the ride they are tasked with starts and ends on time and without drama. And when there is some kind of drama, as does happen from time to time, they are trained to manage it swiftly and with competence. All you have to do is obey their instructions and pedal your bike!
PACED RIDES All Cycle Lab Active rides are split into groups of differing strength/speed/fitness. A-Group usually goes longer and faster than all the other groups and sets off first. Subsequent groups then set off for a shorter or slightly slower paced ride. The Group Leaders are experienced enough to be able to set and maintain a pre-determined pace, based on average speed. If you’re new to Cycle Lab Active, this allows you to self-seed into the group you’re most suited to.
PROGRESSION MADE POSSIBLE
The more consistently you ride, the fitter, stronger and faster you get. So, when you feel that you’re not being stretched anymore by the group you have been riding with for a while, you can move up to the earlier-starting group. Riding with stronger/faster riders helps you progress and it’s one of the great benefits of belonging to Cycle Lab Active, both as a road cyclist and a mountain biker.
SUPPORTED RIDES
When you have a mechanical, such as
a puncture or a chain problem, you can call one of our two drivers in the
support vehicles for support. Once you are sorted, the support vehicle will
pick you and your bike up and drop you slightly ahead of your group so you can
join them again. In the case of an injury or mechanical that cannot be fixed,
the vehicle will take you back to the club or a medical facility if necessary.
CLUB JERSEY & EXTRAS
When you commit to Cycle Lab Active, there’s a joining fee of R999 which then becomes a monthly subscription fee of R149. That initial joining fee secures you a new-member hamper worth R1360 and includes: a high quality Ciovita-made Cycle Lab Active club-member jersey as well as a pair of Cycle Lab cycling socks, a Cycle Lab snood (multi-use head/neck garment) and an all-weather personalised ICED ID bracelet.
COMBO OPTIONS
Because Cycle Lab Active is in the same stable as the Cycle Lab Bike Par in Bryanston and MultiPark a largely Gauteng-based mountain bike trails park membership model, there are combination membership options available for those for whom it makes geographical or financial sense.
EXPERT TALKS
Cycle Lab Active management organises regular talks by various experts to help inform and inspire members. These talks are free for Cycle Lab Active members and cover topics that include bicycle maintenance and repair, sports nutrition, training and racing strategy and more.
SUPPORTED OUTRIDES
From time to time, Cycle Lab Active arranges additional long rides outside of the scheduled weekly rides. These are usually limited-number rides that are guided and supported and help give members the opportunity to expand their cycling experience while improving fitness and stamina in the company of others with similar goals.
BIG RACE HOSPITALITY
Cycle Lab Active offers post-race hospitality for members at the annual Virgin Active 947 Ride Joburg (road and MTB) and Cape Town Cycle Tour (road only). This is partly subsidised for members but the convenience and post-race sanctuary, nourishment and social environment are well worth it.
BEGINNERS WELCOME
Cycle Lab Active is very supportive of beginners in both road and mountain bike disciplines. Special sub-divisions, such as Cycle Lab Active Academy and Cycle Lab Active Women are geared to helping newcomers enjoy their cycling from early on and then steadily progress to the next level with expert guidance, empathy and support.
FIVE LOCATIONS
Cycle Lab Active is operational at different levels at five Cycle Lab Megastores in South Africa – Durban, Boksburg, Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town. For more information or to join, click here.
