General Information
The A.C.T. Veterans Cycling Club Incorporated is affiliated
with the Australian
Veteran Cycling Council (AVCC). The club has around 300 financial members with
ages ranging from 30 to 70 and over. Membership
is open to men, 35 years of age and over, and women 30 years of age and
over.
Attendance at weekly road events is frequently in excess of
80 riders which means all handicap groups or grade divisions have adequate
numbers of equally classed riders for well matched racing. Whenever possible,
every competitor in a race has their individual placing and time recorded.
This provides data that allows each member to assess their performance and
for the race committee to determine fair and accurate handicaps and gradings.
The policy of the club is to avoid any elitism and ensure all riders receive
equal recognition, regardless of age, gender, ability or experience.
Tea and coffee, are provided by the club after each race,
giving riders time to relax, socialise and discuss the finer points of the
day's event prior to the announcement of results. Full
results are compiled within a day or two and distributed to members
by email as well as being published on the RMS.
New Members
New members are always welcome. No hi tech or expensive equipment
is necessary to get started but bikes must be roadworthy and helmets compling
with AS 2063 are mandatory for all events. No previous racing experience
is necessary and anyone who has not competed in a cycle race before with the ACTVCC or any other AVCC affiliated club can
participate in one event as a prior to committing themselves
to joining. Due to issues with insurance coverage however, such first time
riders will be required to complete an AVCC Trial Membership form prior to
race start.
Anyone new to racing will be briefed on race etiquette and
safety prior to their first event and given instruction as necessary during
the race. If you want to find out what cycle
racing is all about, come along to watch a race and ask questions. All persons
are expected to be familiar with the current Race
Rules prior to competing. Our photo
album will give some idea of what goes on. Also feel free to contact
a committee member if you have any questions.
Visiting riders or "visitors" are those people who
are already a member of an AVCC (Australian Veteran Cyclibg Council) affiliated
club and may race with the ACTVCC at any time. Visiting riders must show
their AVCC licence when signing on and pay the normal race entry fee.
More information about the ACT Vets Cycling Club for new and
prospective members is contained in an information brochures, Our
Club. This is a pdf file and require Adobe Acrobat to view.
Road Racing
Road races are held throughout the year. During the winter
season, March to October, races are held every week on Saturday afternoon.
In the summer season, October to March, races are on Sunday mornings. A
separate program of events is run for each season. The current program can
be found on the Rms.
All events run by the club on public roads are approved by
the police and or the local government authorities. Races are planned and
run by club members. Each event has a designated race director supported
by a number of officials and marshalls to assist with recording and traffic
control where necessary. The club is fortunate to have a large number of
different race venues available in the A.C.T. and the surrounding parts
of N.S.W. These are selected not only to give a variety of terrain and distance,
but also for reasons of traffic safety and road surface conditions. All
competitors must comply with the normal road rules while racing and wear
an acceptable protective head gear. They must also observe any instructions
or warnings announced by the race director prior to the start of a race.
The race program incorporates a range of different events
including, handicaps, graded scratch races, time trials and criteriums.
For the majority of races, men and women compete together with riders being
handicapped or graded according to their performance. Graded races are run
in up to eight separate grades. Time trials usually have separate results
for men and women. This also applies to the club championships which are
further divided by age category. The highlight of the race calendar each
year is two day graded stage race. Comprised of three stages, it is always
well attended and keenly anticipated by club members and visiting riders
alike. Apart from time trials and criteriums, race distances are generally
about 40 to 50 km. Members acrue points for each race they enter. Individual
mens and womens point score trophies are presented at the end of each season.
Track Racing
Track racing is held at the Narrabundah Velodrome. This is a steeply banked velodrome.
Races are run on Wednesday evenings throughout the summer months starting
at 6:00 PM. Members can only race on the velodrome with a
track bike. No road bikes are allowed. As with road
racing, events are varied and include graded scratch, handicaps, sprints
and pursuits. A point score for the track season is maintained based on
the results of a regular handicap event.
The ACT Veterans Cycling Club Constitution,
which defines the objectives and purposes of the club, together with relevant
rules and regulations can be viewed at
ACTVCC
Constitution. The Constitution of the Australian Veterans Cycling Council
(AVCC) which is the peak body for dedicated veteran cycling clubs in Australia
can be viewed at
AVCC
Constitution.
