“A great ride. Sun, laughs, great company. Joy” – a few words from a new rider with One and All Cycling, someone who enjoyed riding their bike, but didn’t think a cycling club would be for them; they thought a club would only cater for super-fast racer types. At One and All, we aim to cater for everyone. We can’t always guarantee the sunshine in Cornwall, but our club is all about making cycling as inclusive as possible and having fun on a bike.
We are based at Stithians Watersports Centre, a lovely lakeside location for a post-ride coffee and chat (and the occasional slice of cake). Our aim is to get as many people as possible enjoying the health and social benefits of riding a bike. We mainly cater for adult riders, but we will help young riders as best we can and we can signpost young riders to excellent coaching and training opportunities.
Our weekend group rides are the focus of the club’s activities.
We have a single Saturday group (our ‘Saddle Up Saturday’ riders), which meets at 10.00 am, aiming for a 10.15 am departure. This ride is perfect for new and returning cyclists. The Saturday rides are about 15 miles long and will last around 2 hours. The route will consist of mainly quiet country roads, but may also use some cycle trails with a good surface. Our Saturday rides start from different locations (to allow a variety of routes) – examples include Bon Appetit Café, Twelveheads, Elm Farm Cycles and Café, Nancekuke and our base at Stithians Watersports Centre. All bike types are welcome, including hybrid, mountain and e-bikes – two of our regular Saturday riders are on a tandem!
Our Sunday rides always start and finish at Stithians Watersports Centre. We meet at 9.00 am, with the rides departing at 9.15 am. We usually have four groups going out, so hopefully something to suit most riders. Our Sunday rides are road rides, with the ride leaders using their experience to hopefully find quieter roads. The four groups are called ‘Leisure, ‘group 1’, ‘group 2’ and ‘group 3’. All four group rides are suitable for road bikes. We also welcome e-bike riders on a Sunday, usually riding with ‘Leisure’ or ‘group 1’. ‘Leisure’ will ride 15 – 20 miles, ‘group 1’ around 25 – 30 miles, ‘group 2’ around 30 – 40 miles and ‘group 3’ will usually aim for 45 miles, sometimes a little further. The aim is for all groups to return to Stithians Watersports Centre around 12.30 pm, so those riding further will ride faster. ‘Leisure’ is aimed at new riders and those who wish to enjoy a gentler paced social ride or those starting to get fitter. ‘Group 1’ is still a social ride, but will appeal to those getting stronger. ‘Group 2’ is the next notch up in terms of pace and group riding skills. ‘Group 3’ will aim to ride at an average speed of 15 – 16 mph, with tight group riding (more suited to those with some experience of group riding). The main aim is that all riders in all four groups enjoy a safe ride and have fun.
Although the club has traditionally been a road bike club, some members also enjoy ‘gravel riding’. To cater for this interest, we also organise occasional Sunday gravel rides. These are currently organised on an ad hoc basis and vary in distance. We are based in the heart of mining trail territory, so can usually plan a gravel route that is around 75% ‘off-road’.
As well as the cycling, we also enjoy a number of club social events. We’ve organised quiz nights, talks, restaurant evenings and even had a one-off Salsa dance class.
Our aim is to welcome you to a friendly cycling community where we can help you discover the joy of riding a bike in glorious Cornwall with likeminded people.
