Update: 24 February 2022
Legal restrictions relating to COVID-19 have now been lifted in England, though we request that members exercise caution and do not participate in club activities if they suspect they may have the virus. Club runs have more running more or less as normal for some time now; we plan to keep the sign-up system in place for the time being.
Update: 17 December 2021
Having reviewed updated guidance from British Cycling reflecting the government’s implementation of Plan B measures, we are satisfied that our existing club run arrangements are in line with recommendations. However, we would encourage ride leaders to consider outdoor café stops where possible and strongly recommend that riders take a lateral flow test before participating. We have cancelled the Christmas drinks at the Swan, given that this would have brought together many people in a relatively confined space.
Update: 19 July 2021
While most legal restrictions have now been lifted in England, with COVID-19 case numbers high and rising, we will be retaining the sign-on system for club runs, with the ride size at the discretion of the leader. We will be following updated guidance from British Cycling for organised events such as Academy coaching, and we strongly encourage use of masks in venues, including on audax routes.
Update: 7 June 2021
We’re pleased to be able to announce that the Elenydd permanent audax is now available to enter again.
Update: 17 May 2021
Updated British Cycling guidance confirms that the group size limit for organised activities is now lifted. Cafés are now allowed to serve indoors, but with a limit of six people or two households. We’re therefore going to limit club runs with an indoor café stop to eight riders, with the priviso that the leader splits the group into two for the café, and those with outdoor café stops and non-stop rides to 12 riders. However, club run leaders can decide on a lower limit for their ride should they wish.
Update: 12 April 2021
We’ve now adjusted the ride size limit to eight for club runs without stops. It remains at six for standard club runs with outdoor café stops. Please see this post on the message board for full details.
Update: 28 March 2021
British Cycling has confirmed that organised club activities can resume from tomorrow. British Cycling affiliated club rides can take place in groups of up to 15, but this is a limit rather than a target, and we’ve decided to restrict our club runs to a maximum of six riders each for now. Please see this post on the club message board for details of how club runs will work from next weekend. Six is also the maximum size of informal (i.e. not club organised) group rides.
The British Cycling guidance means that we can restart Beacon Academy events.
Cycling Times Trials has issued a similar confirmation, so we will also be resuming club time trials.
Update: 9 March 2021
Updated British Cycling guidance confirms that we should be able to resume club activities from 29 March (subject to definitive guidance from government the week before), but that in the meantime we should continue to cycle alone, with a household/support bubble or one other person, and remain local.
Update: 23 February 2021
Government guidance on easing the national lockdown issued on 22 February suggests that organised sport should return from 29 March, subject to several tests being met by then.
Cycling Time Trials has confirmed that this would mean time trials could resume. We have cancelled our first two club TTs of the year, which were planned for March, but hope to be able to start the season with the event on 3 April.
While we await updated advice from British Cycling, we should also be able to resume club runs from the start of April – initially with the previous limit of six riders and without café stops.
We’re hoping that the Begwyns, Books and Stones audax scheduled for 17 April can go ahead, but this also depends on guidance from the Welsh government.
Update: 5 January 2021
Updated British Cycling guidance confirms that the new national lockdown means that all club activity should be suspended. The new restrictions allow people to cycle, providing that they do so alone, with a household/support bubble or one other person, and remain local.
Update: 30 December 2020
With Birmingham and much of the surrounding area moving into Tier 4 from 31 December, we are suspending club runs until further notice. The government guidance allows for unlimited exercise alone, or in a public outdoor place with your household, support bubble, or with one other person if you maintain social distancing, and also for organised outdoor sports for under-18s.
Update: 3 December 2020
Updated British Cycling guidance confirms that club runs can now resume, subject to some restrictions detailed in the guidance.
Update: 30 November 2020
Having studied government guidance for Tier 3 and Tier 2 that will apply once national restrictions end on 2 December, we are resuming club runs from Sunday 6 December. As in the autumn, riders will need to sign up on the message board in advance, and club runs will be limited to six participants each. Café stops are not permitted at present. Please see this post on the message board for full details.
Update: 4 November 2020
Updated British Cycling guidance confirms that, for four weeks from 5 November, people should only ride alone, with others from their household/support bubble, or with one person from another household.
Update: 3 November 2020
British Cycling is asking for small-group rides and coaching for young people to be exempt from the new national lockdown rules that will come in on Thursday, but in the absence of such a decision, we are suspending club runs again for the time being. We have also been advised that the Beacon Academy coaching planned for Wednesday should not go ahead, and have issued refunds to all who had paid for places.
Update: 28 October 2020
We are now in a position to be able to restart some Beacon Academy events, commencing 4 November.
Update: 14 October 2020
Following an update to the restrictions applying in Birmingham and elsewhere that means that people living in areas at the high COVID alert level can no longer meet with other households in indoor hospitality venues, we have issued updated club run rules. We are encouraging non-stop Beacon Burst rides, but if there is a café stop, outdoor seating must be available.
Update: 15 September 2020
Having consulted the frequently asked questions published by Birmingham City Council and with British Cycling West Midlands officials, the committee is satisfied that the new local restrictions allow for club runs to continue, subject to the sign-up system and limited group sizes that we already have in place. We would, however, ask all members intending to participate in club runs to read our updated instructions here.
Update: 11 September 2020
Members of the Beacon committee are studying guidance on the Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull local restrictions that will come into force on 15 September. We are awaiting updated advice from British Cycling, including on the implications for club runs, before making a further announcement.
Update: 11 August 2020
Unfortunately, the organiser of our Autumn Rivers, From Clee to Heaven and Beacon Burns audaxes, which were scheduled for 3 October, has had to cancel due to access issues at the Belbroughton event HQ posed by COVID-19. Any entries that have already been made will be refunded in the next few days. Please watch this space for news on possible stripped-back audax events, and remember that the Montgomery Madness permanent audax remains open for entries.
Update: 23 July 2020
British Cycling has announced that there will be a further easing of restrictions on sanctioned club activity and events from 1 August, allowing some racing to start. The maximum size of a club run will remain at six riders.
Update: 8 July 2020
At a virtual meeting on 7 July, the Beacon RCC committee agreed to initiate a phased return of organised club activities, following updated advice from the relevant governing bodies. This decision will be continuously reviewed and activities will be suspended again if we judge activities to be unsafe or if advice from government and from cycling’s governing bodies changes. The initial plan is as follows:
- Club TTs will resume on Wednesday 15 July. A list of events is available here. To make this possible and to ensure rider safety, a number of adjustments to usual practice will be made, including: payment should be made by PayPal here (no cash will be accepted); riders and marshals should observe social distancing at all times; there will be no push-offs at the start; results will be posted online following the event but not announced in person at the finish.
- We aim to re-start club runs on 19 July, with a new system limiting group sizes to a maximum of six, which is explained here.
- We will aim to restart Beacon Academy coaching in August, with new dates to be advertised here shortly. Numbers will be strictly limited, with a new online sign-up system in operation. Academy racing events are cancelled for the rest of the season.
Club members are reminded to renew their subscriptions before participating in any club activities, if they have not already done so.
Update: 26 June 2020
Cycling Time Trials has further extended its suspension of club events by a week, until 12 July, pending greater clarity about applicable government guidelines.
Update: 8 June 2020
Cycling Time Trials has extended its suspension of club events until 5 July, but anticipates that it may be possible to allow events to take place after the issuance of updated government guidelines in early July.
Update: 3 June 2020
Reflecting updated government guidelines that people in England can now meet up in a group of six providing that two-metre distancing is maintained, Cycling UK has updated its guidance, noting that the guidelines “appear to confirm that up to six people can now cycle together in a socially distanced group, though cycling in a group is not specifically mentioned in the guidance”. As a club, we are not re-starting any official club runs yet, due to the potential of larger groups turning up and the lack of open cafés.
Update: 27 May 2020
British Cycling has provided an update on its suspension of sanctioned cycling activity. The suspension of club activity is extended to 4 July, the suspension of regional racing and of non-competitive events such as sportives to 1 August, and the suspension of national racing to 1 September.
Update: 12 May 2020
British Cycling has issued an update to its FAQs document, noting that from 13 May, people in England can now exercise outside more than once a day, that exercise with one person from a different household is now permitted, but that cyclists doing so still need to maintain a two-metre distance from anyone from outside their household.
Update: 16 April 2020
British Cycling has issued an update to its FAQs document.
Update: 31 March 2020
Cycling Time Trials has extended its suspension of events until 30 June, which means the cancellation of the 2020 Sigma Sports Classic Series. Our Little Mountain Time Trial was to be part of this series, but was already cancelled.
Update: 23 March 2020
Updated government guidelines, initially in force for three weeks, specify that people can undertake one form of outdoor exercise a day, including cycling, but that “even when doing these activities, you should be minimising time spent outside of the home and ensuring you are 2 metres apart from anyone outside of your household”.
British Cycling has extended its suspension of all activity that it sanctions until 30 June. The announcement notes that “riding a bike is a great way to aid your physical and mental health, provided that guidance on social distancing is followed. British Cycling would urge all cyclists to only ride on routes you know well, that are close to home and that are well within your ability level – this is a time for calm recreation, not for challenging yourself”. An accompanying FAQ document is available here.
Update: 20 March 2020
Cycling UK has published a further explanation of the advice to cancel all group rides.
Update: 17 March 2020
Based on government advice, British Cycling and Cycling Time Trials have now announced the suspension of all sanctioned activities. Audax UK has suspended recognition of all audax rides, including permanent and DIY events. Cycling UK is advising the cancellation of all group rides and activities. Further advice, including on cycling alone, is available from Cycling UK here.
Update: 16 March 2020
Following this afternoon’s government advice that we should all avoid non-essential travel and social contact, and after consulting our event organisers, the Beacon RCC committee has decided that we have no other option than to suspend all club activities with immediate effect.
This means that:
- All club runs are cancelled until further notice;
- The club time trial season, which was due to start this Saturday, will not begin until government advice changes;
- This year’s Little Mountain Time Trial, scheduled for 26 April, is cancelled;
- If it cannot go ahead as planned, the Janet Kelly Memorial Open 10 TT, currently scheduled for 11 July, will be moved to the autumn if possible;
- All Beacon Academy events are cancelled until further notice;
- The Kidderminster Killer audax is cancelled and other audax events are postponed until October, situation permitting.
We have taken this decision in an attempt to avoid incidents that may require emergency services, and because, for all that we love cycling, our organised events are non-essential in the great scheme of things.
The club website will be updated in the coming days to reflect these developments.
We hope you understand our decision and the reasoning behind it.
Members, their partners and guests are warmly invited to the Beacon RCC Annual Awards Dinner at Hillscourt Conference Centre on Saturday 7 December, starting 6pm.