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 and informal club spins; these are categorised into groups which cater for everyone from new members/improvers to racers and everyone in between.
Formal spins are arranged each Sunday from October to March. The spins are categorised based on ability and experience.
These spins cater for adults from beginners/improvers to racers and everyone in between . There is a group for everyone.
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)
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.
We meeting in car park of the Old Dundrum Shopping Center. (on the bypass side, behind the shops).
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.
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Average speed: above 23kph
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
The groups are based on estimated distance and average speed - and you should be comfortable with BOTH.
Average speed depends on climbing and weather. The information below 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.
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:
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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
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.
