Our Story...
Dream it.
I wonder:
Would it work? Could we get a group of folks together from around the local area and form a social cycling club? A club that helps people get onto bikes that might not otherwise have thought about cycling? And a club that encourages anyone who’s interested to see how far they can stretch themselves and achieve their own personal goals?
Perhaps we should discuss this in the pub?
The meeting:
And so it was that local cycling enthusiasts Russell and Nicky Eden sat in the Longlands Pub in Stourbridge way back in 2007 and hatched a cunning plan to form a social cycling club. This began as a small group, mainly ladies, with the goal of training to see if they could cycle 40 miles from Stourbridge to Stratford upon Avon - not an easy undertaking for many who’d not cycled before. They trained hard, stuck together and yes in May 2007 33 members made it there!
They decided to call the club “Stourbug”
Build it.
The word is getting around:
By 2009 the club membership had increased to over 100 members, still mainly ladies, as people became aware of the uniqueness of welcoming leisure cyclists to ride in a group.
And they’re getting more ambitious:
In addition to the regular local rides, longer distance events were being organised.
One such event was a return ride to Stratford in 2009 using a slightly longer route. One of our long term members, Sally, commented: “After a serious illness in 2007 I decided to get fit and healthy and joined Stourbug. I signed up and joined nearly 100 ladies in a cycling challenge to Stratford upon Avon. Even a few miles was a hard slog initially but after regular rides I achieved an amazing 54 miles on the day”.
Since then the club has grown and flourished with regular daily rides, long distance events, cycling holidays and social events.
Grow it.
It is our vision that Stourbug will be:
A strong, supportive, sharing and active community of cycling friends of all abilities.
A source for inspiration and new skills that allows our members to gain confidence.
A club where members can enjoy riding with like minded cyclists.
We aim to achieve this by:
Holding regular social evenings and informal courses so people can meet, share ideas and knowledge.
Making new members welcome and offering encouragement that many have valued in the past.
Increasing the number of rides. Encouraging more members to join rides.
Holding large organised club events to bring members together to celebrate cycling, share experiences and achievements.
Exploring and touring in new areas in the UK and abroad.