Recreation & Leisure

With over 500 members, Orwell Wheelers caters for a broad range of cycling ability and experience. We have members across a large age range – including people in their 70s and 80s. Our ethos is to enjoy being out on the bike with like-minded souls and lots of banter. Coffee and cake is also very important.

Leisure cycling includes club spins, sportives, touring and other non-competitive events (which may be timed for personal reference only, not for prizes).

Our cycling year can be divided into two main parts – autumn/winter and spring/summer. We encourage members to participate in our weekly formal club spins; these are categorised into groups which cater for everyone from new members/improvers to racers and everyone in between.

As well as the more traditional coffee stop spins, we have a very active touring group – outings have included tours of historic Meath, camp/cycle trips, tour of Ireland. It’s a great way to enjoy time on your bike!

Club Spins

WINTER

Formal spins are arranged for each Sunday from October to March. The spins are categorised into five main categories based on ability and experience. These spins cater for adults from beginners/improvers to racers and everyone in between looking to build up a good base for the season. So there is literally a group for everyone. As the saying goes, winter miles, summer smiles.

Meeting Times for SUNDAY Spins

Self organised groups

9:00am Red

9:10am Orange

Groups with leaders

9:15am Amber (new for 2024/25)

9:20am Yellow

9:21am White (directly after yellow)

Route roster for 2025

Leader roster for 2025

Bad
Weather

Club Winter spins WILL NOT take place if an ORANGE weather warning is in place.

If there is a YELLOW weather warning or other adverse conditions club winter spins MAY NOT take place.

In this case, a message will be posted on the Orwell Winter Spins WhatsApp group, after 6pm the night before.

Meeting
Points

We meeting in car park of the Old Dundrum Shopping Center. (on the bypass side, behind the shops).

LINK to GOOGLE MAPS.

There is plenty of space in the car park - please do no stand on the road or block the pay machines. Please remember that there are businesses operating in this area, so be sensitive to customers parking or accessing the shops if they are open.

For more information on the different groups please see Spin Groups below.

Spring/Summer

From April to September there are weekly Saturday spins. Similar in format to the winter spins, these outings are largely organised as training spins for Orwell internal sportive/WW200/100/ etc...

Meeting Times for SUNDAY Spins

9:00am Red Groups

9:10am Orange Groups

9:15am Amber Group (new for 2024/25)

9:20am Yellow Groups

9:21am White Groups (after yellow)

For more information on the different groups please see Spin Groups below.

Bad
Weather

Club Winter spins WILL NOT take place if an ORANGE weather warning is in place. If there is a YELLOW weather warning or other adverse conditions club winter spins MAY NOT take place.

Club spins MAY NOT take place
In this case, a message will be posted on WhatsApp after 6pm the night before. Keep an eye on the club forum for updates.

Meeting
Points

We will be meeting in car park of the Old Dundrum Shopping Center car park. We meet on the bypass side, behind the shops. LINK to GOOGLE MAPS. There is plenty of room in the car park - please do no stand on the road or block the pay machines. Please remember that there are businesses operating in this area, so be sensitive to customers parking or accessing the shops if they're open.

To participate in a club spin you must:

be a current club member
(All Orwell riders are Cycling Ireland members - this covers us from a third party insurance viewpoint).
have a road racing bike in good working order (no mountain bikes, hybrids, straight handlebars or tribars).
wear a hard shell helmet.
carry a pump, tyre levers and spare tubes for road side repairs.

Youths/juniors can join club spins ONLY if they have the approval of the Youth Rep. They must have a charged phone, inform the leader that they are a junior and that they have been approved to ride with the group.

The rules of the road apply when cycling on the road.
Wear a helmet on all club spins and make sure your bike is in good working order.
The group rides in two abreast formation.
Maintain a steady straight line.
No sudden movements. Be predictable with all your actions.
Lead riders should use hand signals as well as clearly audible shouted instructions.
Riders at the rear should warn of approaching cars
Point out and call out any road hazards ahead.
Use mudguards in winter as a courtesy to other riders.
Bring a minimum of one spare tube, tyre levers and a pump.

For more detail see the Club Documents Section

Spin Groups

The groups are based on estimated distance and average speed - and you should be comfortable with BOTH.

Of course, average speed is highly weather dependent, but it will give you a general idea of what you can expect on one of these spins. As the season progresses, group riders who are deemed too strong or too weak for a given group will be prompted to move to a more appropriate group in order to maintain the listed average speeds. The great thing about being the biggest cycling club in Ireland is that you will always find a group that is going your speed. What you will find is that over the course of the year the distances, speeds and vertical metres of the groups will increase naturally as riders get stronger although perhaps not ready yet to move up to next group.

In addition to these groups there are various other rides, usually smaller, that go out at different times and are open to members. These tend to have a group leader – either formal or informal – who will set the ethos of the group and the aims of the group. You are welcome to join these rides, but please respect the aims of the group and if you are either too good or too weak to comfortably ride in the group please be self-aware and excuse yourself from the group. There are quite a number that run during the summer when the official spins end and we will post details nearer the time. As Summer approaches, there will also be groups linked to specific events, e.g. Wicklow 100/200 or L'Étape training groups. Keep an eye on the WhatsApp channels for details.

Select a colour group for more information

(scroll on a mobile device)

Colour Classifications

Amber Group

Average speed: 23-25kph
Distance: 60-95km
Skills: Controlled pace, no drop ride, increasing distance and average speed

Orwell Leaders : Yes (selected from Amber riders)
Predefined Routes : Yes

This group is to cater for riders who are faster than Yellow and are looking for a no-drop ride - but not at the sustained pace of existing Orange groups

Orange Group

Average speed: 24-26kph
Distance: 70-100+km
Skills: Improving climbing skills, increasing distance and average speed

Orwell Leaders- no, self led by the group
Predefined Routes : no, agreed by the group on the day

This group is for improving to strong riders who like a little bit more of a challenge and are comfortable riding in a group. Distances are longer and the pace is significantly faster than yellow.

Many strong riders stayed in here long past the time to move into Red, so we will be encouraging them to move up this year. If you have averaged over 28kph on a Group Ride , then you should move up.

Yellow Group

Average speed: 22-24kph
Distance: 60-95km
Skills: Group skills, increasing distance and average speed

Orwell Leaders: Yes
Predefined Routes : Yes

Riders who have a feel for the sport and are confident on the bike, in a group and able to move efficiently for 1.5- 2 hours before a break. Spins will start at 60km in length and at a slightly faster pace than White. If you were comfortable White last year, or did a 100km during the Summer without too much bother you should give some consideration to starting here.

White Group

Average speed: 20-22kph
Distance: 60-95km
Skills: Group skills

Orwell Leaders: Yes - and on designated dates - Minders to help newcomers into group riding
Predefined Routes : Yes

For those new to the sport, or unaccustomed to club and group spins. Spins will start at around 50km in length. Coffee stop is mandatory. Great fun for those who have mastered the basics, but want to get a bit stronger &/or look forward to riding with like minded souls. You're more than welcome to stay in White for the year and we have many members in this grouping. Others move on at their own pace. White riders should be meet at the same time as Yellow to facilitate movement between these groups.. (some whites ride flat yellow routes, some yellows go white if the yellow route is hilly).

Red Group

Average speed: 26-30kph
Distance: 70-120km
Skills: Improving climbing skills, increasing distance and average speed

Orwell Leaders: no, self led by the group
Predefined Routes : Yes

This group is for those who have a good level of fitness, are experienced in cycling in a group, and are up for longer spins at a higher pace. The spins will start at around 80km and work up to about 100-120km by Christmas. Mindful that people don't want to be out all day , breaks on this may usually be shorter than the more leisurely ones enjoyed in other groups.

Events/Trips and Social

At Orwell Wheelers, we pride ourselves on being a welcoming, inclusive club, something we call the “Spirit of Orwell”. This is just a sample to some of the many events/trips that are organised:

Select a topic
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Blazing Saddles

This is our take on a “steps-challenge”. Running for 4 weeks in March, it is an opportunity to blow off the winter cobwebs, ease yourself back into the saddle and have some fun with club mates. Participants are assigned to teams of 6 and are set different distance and elevation challenges each week. Importantly, it’s not just about who cycles the most, bonus points are up for grabs for teams that cycle together - making it a great way to meet fellow club members.

Summer Training Spins

For 2025 our Summer Training Spins Program is called Paths to Peaks. This will run every Saturday from 5th April up to the end of June, taking us all to new heights!

We have groupings and distances to suit everyone! We welcome new and existing members and thank those who volunteer to lead.

There is a sign-up invitation on WhatsApp. This poll will close on Friday, 21st March. 2025. Further details on groupings will follow once we receive responses from everybody.

Paths to Peaks finishes with a BBQ on Saturday, June 28th

Zoom & In-Person Session

During the year, we will hold various sessions on Zoom. Previous topics have included: Winter Training; Diet & Cycling; Looking after your Heart; Using Bike Computers; Cycling from Dublin to Rome to name but a few!

We also organise some in-person evening sessions, such as our infamous “Puncture Night:, where members bring along a wheel and learn (in a hands-on way) how to deal with a puncture when you’re out on the road!

We should also mention that Orwell’s Touring and Adventure Group organises a whole host of cycling trips including day-trips, overnight stays, weekend trips and even overseas trips!

Randonnée

The word Randonnee is used to describe a long-distance bicycle ride. It is derived from the French verb 'randonner', which means 'to roam' or 'to wander.

Orwell Wheelers Cycle Club have been holding an annual Randonnée event for many years and which pitched cyclist and bikes against some of the toughest terrain in Ireland. Club members traditionally volunteer for various roles on the day eg. marshaling, food stops, water, club car, meet & greet at the finish. The Orwell Randonee has earned a reputation amongst the cycle sportive community as a superbly organised cycle event

Routes for 2025

Randonnée 145km

Randonnée Lite 125km

The genesis for the Randonnée was the annual club 100 Mile cycle that was held in early May to give members a chance to complete the traditional rite of passage of a "Century" ride. The decision was made to open the cycle to non-members in 2007, when under the direction of Eddy Lane the Orwell Randonnée made its first appearance as a fundraiser for the Irish hospice foundation. When the 2010 edition of the Randonnée had to be canceled at short notice a group of seven Orwell leisure cyclists took the opportunity to re-invent their own leisure cycle and add ingredients felt to be missing by some of the existing events. The “Magnificent 7” as they called themselves were: Denis Gleeson, John Hannin, Stephen Hayden, John Lanigan, Fergal O’Sullivan, Brendan Sheridan and John Twomey.

The new Randonnée committee decided upon a course that would be testing while attracting cyclists to experience the wonders of the Dublin and Wicklow countryside. They quickly came up with a set of key words that became the backbone of the event that’s used to this day: fun, food, support, value and safety. Their first running of the Randonnée had close to 200 cyclists, half of which were club members. The event is currently run on the Saturday of the May Bank Holiday and is a key milestone in the annual cycle sportive calendar. The Randonnée is a fantastic day for any rider seeking an early-season challenge. It can be a challenging event for some as it is a long distance cycle through and over the Wicklow / Dublin mountains where weather conditions can be unpredictable. There are snack and food stops along the route, with the main food stop at Laragh. Mobile mechanical support and emergency medical assistance is available if required.

The main route includes the Wicklow Gap, Sally Gap, Lugalla and “The Wall” with 146 km of distance and 2223 metres of climbing which will certainly test any rider. The Randonnée Lite is a slightly easier alternative and consists of 126 km and 1883 metres climbing, still a tough challenge and not for the faint-hearted. The club is proud to support our chosen charity partner - The Dundrum Arch Club. This is a social club for adults with intellectual disabilities that meets every Wednesday evening in Ballinteer Community School. This charity is serviced fully by volunteers with proceeds from the Randonee going towards benefiting the members.

The Road Less Travelled

The Touring and Adventure group have a common love for cycling on ‘The Road Less Travelled.’ They all like to take time on their ride - to smell the coffee, take pictures, and answer the question “I wonder where this road leads to”? The group was set up by some dedicated club members to offer an alternative to the club spin routes. Musical directors speak of the need to appreciate the beauty of a musical piece - so they offer pauses and silence within musical performances. The Touring and Adventure spins metaphorically endeavor also offer the pause and silence to appreciate "The Road less Travelled".