Youth Cycling
Youth Cycling
Overview
The West Lothian Clarion Youth Section provides coaching for riders aged from 5 to 16. We give riders the opportunity to develop their cycling skills in safe, traffic-free environments, and we are part of the British Cycling Go-Ride network of community cycling clubs. Our coaching activities introduce young people to a range of cycling disciplines, including mountain biking, cyclocross, and road cycling on the West Lothian Cycle Circuit.
How much does it cost?
Basic membership is £10 per month payable throughout the year. Older riders from around the age of 12 who take part in our additional performance focussed sessions pay £17.50 per month. When you join the club, the first two sessions are free. Our fees also include membership of the National Clarion Cycling Club.
Where do we ride from?
We rotate between two venues for the different types of cycling that we coach.
- Road sessions on the West Lothian Cycle Circuit and cyclocross sessions in the grounds of Xcite Linlithgow Leisure Centre See google map
- Mountain biking at Beecraigs Country Park See google map
When do we ride?
Outdoor sessions run from the beginning of March to the end of November. During the winter we run optional indoor sessions on rollers for riders aged 9 and up. Outdoor sessions are 90 minutes long from age 7, and 60 minutes for our youngest group.
Between the end of the Easter holidays and mid-September our coaching takes place on Wednesday evenings. Sessions at the West Lothian Cycle Circuit run from 18:30, while sessions at Beecraigs run from 19:00 to allows families to transport children to both venues if needed. We switch between road and mountain biking roughly every four weeks.
In the autumn and early spring our sessions are on Saturday mornings at 09:00 and include cyclocross coaching.
We also run road coaching sessions at 19:00 on Tuesday evenings at the West Lothian Cycle Circuit which are more performance focussed than our usual sessions. These are also open to riders from other local clubs.
What we coach
All of our sessions start with a bike, helmet and clothing check followed by a warm up. The riders are split into small groups based on age and ability, and we focus on having fun and learning the broad range of fundamental skills that will help them develop all aspects of bike riding, whether for leisure or racing. Each session usually finishes with a fun challenge such as a short race, relay or game and a warm down. As our members get older, many develop a keen interest in cycling for sport, and we help support them to develop the skills and fitness that they need to realise their potential.
All activities are supervised by our qualified volunteer coaches and mountain bike leaders.
“My time at West Lothian Clarion when I was an under 12 and 14 was filled with so much learning and variety. The multi discipline approach in the club allowed me to find what I enjoyed, and also learn skills across the whole of cycling. The friends and contacts I gained in my time at Clarion are still very important to me. Still now I feel a part of the club and always welcome, that says a lot about their values.”
Cameron Mason – Trinity Racing Team (British cyclocross champion 2023)