Velo Club Baracchi welcomes new members and we treasure the friendship of old ones!
This is a great time to join – we changed our kit design and this is the current kit in 2024 (though old kit is still acceptable for time trials and general riding). Here’s current kit:-
Our kit design
If you are new to the sport, the club has a wealth of knowledge both from experienced riders who can help you get the most from your cycling whichever discipline you wish to pursue. VCB promotes a number of open time trials and also reliability trials for the benefit of our members and those of other clubs in the region. In order to do so we rely on each member helping out at a couple of these each year. We take part in inter-club time trial and reliability trial events against Gt Yarmouth CC for the Holmes Cup.
Many of our members regularly compete in open time trials promoted by other clubs (which have to be entered in advance) and also in club time trials run by other local clubs (which don’t need advance entry). Membership of an affiliated cycling club like ours gives you those rights. To avoid a clash with other local clubs we don’t stage a club time trial but it’s not far to go to enter one!
Mark Munnings riding a time trial in the current kit
At most times a choice of club training rides are offered depending on ability and during the season training can be arranged with other members via email, phone or, via the Friends of VC Baracchi Facebook group. Club runs are at present sporadic but it was intended that on most Sundays (even in the racing season if there are members who are not competing) the club run would set off from the Colville Road roundabout at 8.30am. with prospective members with some ability are welcome to join in for all or part of the distance. However, please contact us to check the current position before relying on that arrangement.
We have an annual road race. We devised the Ringsfield course, registered with British Cycling, where these races can take place. At present our club and DAP CC both use it. We usually cater for categories 3/4, which automatically include women and juniors who want to enter. If you are interested in road racing you may do so as a member of our club! The current kit will be needed by all who ride road races in the club name.
At the VCB Ringsfield Road Race in 2023
Some members of our club take part in MTB racing and we welcome additional ones for MTB and cyclo-cross. We have a wide range of trophies for many categories across time-trialling, road racing, MTB and cyclo-cross and have expanced these to cover more performances by women and juniors. All time trial riders receive personalised achievemnt certificates.
Informal meeting nights have previously been held on the second Monday of each month from around 8.00pm at the Carlton PH in London Road South, Pakefield, Lowestoft but are currently discontinued. You can obtain futher information about the club by contacting the acting secretary Kate Churchill on katetheplumber@gmail.com . If you would like to join the club please download a form from the membership section.
N.B. For more information about riding time trials, the year’s events throughout the country, entry forms and much more, go to the national website of Cycling Time Trials (the governing body for time trials on whose behalf cycling clubs stage events). For road racing and other cycling events look at the British Cycling site and don’t forget Audax UK for Audax events – one of our members organises some of these locally.
The Friends of VC Baracchi Facebook group was set up by some of the members of the club to allow members of that group (members of the club and others too) to communicate and post more immediate information. You can apply to join and and it’s here https://www.facebook.com/groups/19351888767/
There is also a page https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=velo%20club%20baracchi for the club. Members receive access to a private club page to keep in touch with each other.