It’s a sight you see frequently on Richmond’s more rural roads – groups of serious-looking cyclists, resplendent in their very tight-fitting and colourful gear.
What you might not know is that all of them hail from organized clubs based outside the city’s boundaries.
That is, until now.
Enter a new breed, Richmond’s very first road-cycling club, called Steveston Velo.
Steveston Velo was created by long-time Richmond resident Erin Lee, a passionate cyclist who didn’t fancy driving out of town for tens of kilometres - with her bike attached to her car – to cycle in a club and then drive all the way home again.
“Vancouver, Delta, everybody that rides in Richmond is based outside of Richmond,” Lee told the Richmond News.
“A lot of them come here because of the flat surfaces, especially in the winter, to ride the ‘Richmond Loop,’ which is around 40-kilometres.
“It’s been in the works for the last couple of years, but last December was when the paperwork finally got done.”
Steveston Velo went public last week, inviting people to sign up for the $150 annual membership, for which you will get a club jersey and the opportunity to ride twice a week, on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings.
Lee noted that the idea came about because her husband, Tim, also an avid road cyclist, owns the Sanctuary Café at the foot of No. 2 Road, which is a popular refreshment spot for cyclists from Vancouver and elsewhere.
“He had a Thursday-night ride come in, with about 50 people wanting to take part. We recognized the demand was there in Richmond,” added Lee.
“But just to be clear, this is a road-cycling group, it’s not for people in flip-flops.”
Lee said she’s already got 30 members signed up, with the intention to close the membership intake on March 1.
She said the plan is to hit the road Thursday nights around 6/6:30 p.m. and Saturday mornings for a longer ride.
There will likely be around four different levels of riding, with some members able to clock up 60 kilometres in an evening, and up to 100 on the longer Saturday rides.
For more information on membership, go to https://www.facebook.com/Steveston-Velo-110634781515028
