YOU don\u2019t have to be one of the city\u2019s next champion riders to join the Bendigo and District Cycling Club, but you can learn from them.<\/p>\n
Despite boasting a range of current and ex-professional members, BDCC race organiser Darren Casey said the club\u2019s focus in on sharing the varied benefits of cycling with the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe club is about your general punter bike rider,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe other main thing is participation, it\u2019s about comradery. The beauty of cycling, especially when you ride in a group, is it\u2019s a real social, mental health connection.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a very social club. I\u2019ve got friends for life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Casey said the club taps into Bendigo\u2019s large pool of cycling talent to educate and build the confidence of all riders from juniors to seniors.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe try to give the newcomers a chance and we\u2019re lucky that there are experienced riders that will help them or coach them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe key to the club is development with our junior riders, the girls and the boys, and that naturally progresses into the senior ranks.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Bendigo club is so diverse that we have a lot of girls as well which is great to see. We are a very strong female orientated club.\u201d<\/p>\n
Casey said BDCC offers opportunities for members to participate in a range of different cycling events, usually averaging 50 to 80 kilometres in length.<\/p>\n
A growing interest in gravel riding, particularly amongst newcomers picking up cycling as a form of lockdown-friendly physical activity, has prompted the club to schedule a race later this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019re putting on a gravel race event in November to cater for that new, different league of people or a different type of person that maybe is interested but they don\u2019t want to go out on the road and race,\u201d Casey said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
YOU don\u2019t have to be one of the city\u2019s next champion riders to join the Bendigo and District Cycling Club, but you can learn from them. Despite boasting a range of current and ex-professional members, BDCC race organiser Darren Casey said the club\u2019s focus in on sharing the varied benefits of cycling with the community. […]<\/p>\n