Explore your surroundings with your club

There are plenty of reasons to join a club and it doesn't always have to be for racing.

We asked Griffin Knight from the Adelaide MTB Club about the importance of being part of AusCycling and the benefits of joining a club.

How did you become involved in cycling?

I became involved in cycling through my Dad initially, then the Adelaide MTB Club.

Which discipline did you start with and what made you want to try the others?

I started riding mountain bikes as a kid, but I was interested in every discipline of cycling. When I was young I started racing track, road and mountain bikes but shifted to knobbly tyres and have followed that all the way through to where I’m at now, racing cross country mountain bike, cyclocross and road as an exception.

When AusCycling was being formed what were your thoughts and how did you see it would benefit you?

I was really excited by the idea. I could see that it could benefit me directly and indirectly. The convenience and savings of having one licence is great for my friends who were wanting to get into racing other disciplines but couldn’t justify two race licences. This switch allows me to have fun with my mates on any bike!

How does AusCycling benefit you and your club?

The new AusCycling structure benefits the Adelaide MTB Club as we may see more participation in our events, due to the licence merger and a more integrated calendar with less clashes with key road events in SA. Personally, it enables me to further myself and experience new disciplines or events and share connections with people in those other disciplines, hopefully pushing them to do the same.

Tell us how important not just racing is, but also the other aspects of being part of a club, i.e. volunteering, coaching.

Being part of any club is an opportunity to connect with others, learn and improve yourself in many ways. This is amplified by volunteering and coaching, which ultimately fosters the growth of the sport of cycling, meaning that we can enjoy more resources and recognition for what we do.

What's the best thing about riding a bike?

The best thing about riding a bike is exploring your surroundings. Cycling is this happy medium between motoring and walking where you can absorb the environment and see so many different places in one ride.

How would you encourage more people across all disciplines to volunteer in any capacity at their club?

The best part of volunteering is seeing people who are new to the sport get more into the sport because of an initiative your club has put together. Whether it’s volunteering time to set up an event, coach or do committee roles, everyone will get a big kick out of seeing more people enjoying cycling!