Hill Climb
Ripponden New Bank
A welcome return to the Ripponden Bank Hill Climb, back after a few years. This is the first in our Hill Climb double header, with Stocks Lane taking place at 2pm the same day.
We Are
Halifax Imps
Join us at the oldest running cycling club in Halifax. Rides every Thursday and Sunday.
The cycling club for Halifax, West Yorkshire.
Established in 1924, Halifax Imperial Wheelers is the cycling club for Halifax, West Yorkshire. Join our friendly group for social rides every week. All are welcome.
Whatever your ability level or experience riding in a group, we'll give you a warm welcome and offer guidance, advice, or tell you if you're too fast for us!
Regular Rides
Thursday Night
The cornerstone of our club is the Thursday night social ride. Every Thursday, come rain, shine, snow or wind, you'll find a hardy group of members heading out. Even on the worst weather days, there'll probably still be one or two diehards willing to brave the elements!
We meet outside Mamil in Halifax at 1930 for a start at 1945. Routes tend to be easy to moderate in terms of hills (by West Yorkshire standards, anyway), and terminate at a pre-nominated pub between 2115 and 2130. Obviously pub attendance isn't mandatory, but it's frowned upon if you don't make it.
Attendance ranges from low single figures if the weather isn't playing ball, all the way up to mid twenties on a glorious summer evening. Depending on the abilities and numbers present, we may split into two groups with one being a slower pace.
Frequently Asked Questions
We know it can be nerve wracking to ride with a club for the first time! Here are some answers to the questions we're often asked, if you're wondering if we're the right club for you.
What types of riders are welcome?
Every rider is welcome! Our club is made up of a wide variety of age groups and abilities. Admittedly, the majority of our riders are male but we do have a handful of female riders who ride regularly with us, and we'd love to see more! We have folk who race, some who used to race, and some who couldn't think of anything worse than racing. Our social rides in particular are geared towards people who just want to have a bit of exercise and a catch up with friends, to enjoy the scenery of Yorkshire and further afield, and to be united by our hatred of potholes.
Do I need to be a member to ride with you?
Yes and no. When you first join we allow you three rides to decide if we're the club for you. If you decide you like us, then we'll ask that you pay the low annual membership fee of £15.50 to join. You'll find the full details on our Membership page.
Do I need to get ride insurance?
Yes, you'll need to also obtain third party ride insurance. This is usually through either a British Cycling 'Core' membership, or through Cycling UK membership.
I'm really slow, will I get dropped?
Our Thursday rides are the best option for coming out with us and seeing how you get on. Depending on the abilities of those present, we may split into a faster and a slower group. We'll always aim not to drop riders on our Thursday rides, and we'll wait at the top of hills to regroup. We want new riders to feel welcome and to come back again and again, so trust us — even if on your first ride you feel slow and that you're holding back the group, it won't be long before your fitness increases and you'll be keeping up in no time. It just needs a little consistency and to keep coming out week after week.
I'm really fast, will you be too slow for me?
Sometimes we have people join who are already very fast cyclists — maybe they've moved to the area, or they've always ridden solo. All we can say is come and try it! Our Sunday fast ride should be enough to test you, and if you're finding it easy, well, you can take some more time on the front! Our Thursday social ride is really just that though, so don't expect it to be a training ride where you're pushing yourself to your limit.
Imps in Action
