One of the most enjoyable things a rider can do as he or she becomes more advanced is join a road cycling club.

Road cycling clubs are organisations based around the shared love of riding, and are normally very well run with a professional emphasis on membership.

This doesn’t mean that the clubs are not fun – far from it. Depending on the type of club you join and its location, a combination of casual and more serious rides will be arranged on a regular basis.

The best clubs will advertise their cycling meets well in advance, so that members can arrange free time to attend the rides. You may also be lucky enough to make a group of road cyclist friends through which you can arrange your own bike rides.

There may be certain conditions attached with joining the road cycling club – you may have to pay a membership fee, for example – but generally the benefits far outweigh the costs.

Advice on how to setup and maintain your bike, where to purchase cheap bike equipment and apparel, and other general help is usually very forthcoming in road cycling clubs.

Remember that if you try a club and don’t like it, you can always move to another one.

Do a quick browse online for road cycling clubs and you should be able to find one near you.