Who are we?
The Widger Spoke-Easies
We are a women-only road cycling club based in Launceston. We ride all around the beautiful coast and countryside of West Devon and North Cornwall with occasional trips abroad. We run a fun, friendly club for female cyclists. There’s room for everyone in the Widgers even if you are a newbie. Some of us want to ride fast and some of us don’t. What matters to us is that we develop a club of safe, skilled, confident and happy cyclists.
Fun ⊛ Fitness ⊛ Friends
Bikes ⊛ Banter ⊛ Belief
Memories ⊛ Medals ⊛ Maids
We ride together on Monday mornings at 10:00 am all year-round, Thursday summer evenings at 6:00 pm and Saturdays all year-round, alternating mornings and afternoons at 9:30 am and 1:00 pm, though the times may vary.
A – Group
14+ mph over 30-40 miles. This is the pointy end of the club made up of our fastest club members. It’s brisk and can be competitive. Hills are thrills.
B – Group
The biggest group in the club featuring B Quicks who ride with purpose at 12.5-14 mph over 25-35 miles and B Steadies who ride socially at 11.5-13 mph over 20-30 miles. The B Quicks are hill improvers and the B Steadies will generally find a flatter way around.
C – Group
Where it all begins. There’s no set pace. This group is about growing bike handling skills, confidence in group riding on the road and improving fitness. No one gets left behind.
Why are we a women’s club?
A women only club doesn’t sound all that inclusive. But there’s a reason for the Widgers. In the UK, 69% of British Cycling members are men. Research into the gender gap states that women lack confidence and they experience fear on the roads, they’re worried about their fitness levels and not being able to keep up. And they’re really worried about how big their bum looks in lycra! The last thing any of them want to do is have a detailed conversation with a stranger about saddle pain. We’re here to change all this. Cycling can and should be inclusive. We are all fitter, happier and healthier as a consequence of this club. Once you realise we all felt the same, it’s easier to overcome the challenges. If the girl next door can ride a bike safely with confidence, change a puncture and have fun then so can you
We do like to ride with the chaps some of the time and on our terms. We organise mixed rides on the last Saturday of each month, and our summer Thursday evening rides are also mixed. Feel free to bring your partner or friends along as a guest. It’s a great opportunity to ride with members of neighbouring cycling clubs. Once they’ve ridden with us they spread the word about the Widgers and it’s a winning formula.
Members
%
Women
Club riders in 3up TT
Miles in Mallorca 2022
Club kit
We encourage you to ride with the Widgers a couple of times before joining the Club so you know exactly what we are all about. Once you are a member, you can buy various bits of club kit through our secretary.
Our preferred supplier for bike clothing is Primal Europe. We only carry very limited kit in stock. That means we have to put group orders in throughout the year so you may experience a delay while we gather up minimum order numbers. We currently offer: Jersey £55, Gilet £44, Vest £48.50, Arm warmers £18.50, Hoodie £20, Zoodie £21.50, Shorts £72
The Widgers started out as a group of friends riding on Saturdays and eating cake. None of us owned road-bikes. With a bit of training from British Cycling, lots of enthusiasm and hard work, numbers grew and our revolution gathered momentum. We affiliated with British Cycling in 2013.There are very few all women cycling clubs in the UK.
This is no ordinary cycling club. We don’t really do things the way more established mixed clubs do; but we do have a reputation for well organised fun, a welcoming atmosphere and developing female cyclists.
CONTACT:
Email: info@widgers.club
Road cycling for women of all ages and abilities with the emphasis on safety, confidence, community and fun!