No. From 2025 we are using digital licenses and will no longer be sending out physical licenses. Digital licenses can be downloaded from your BMCR page on RiderHQ with versions available for both Apple (iPhone) and Android ‘phones. If you are not able to access, or use, a digital license, a screenshot of your RiderHQ record will be accepted when signing-on. Screenshots can be shown on a phone or tablet, or printed to paper.

No!  Categories are determined by your year of birth, not your date of birth.  This is to avoid having people change categories during the racing season.

BMCR organises cycle races in the UK under its own rules, and  BMCR licenses are issued solely to support races under BMCR rules.  Those seeking to compete in an event not organised under BMCR rules will need to get advice from the organisers about the license requirements for that event.

In 2024 we reviewed our regional structure for the first time in many years.  This was prompted by the fact that many regions have been struggling to fill their quota of “regional roles” and, over the years, some have effectively closed or merged.

We concluded that, whilst the administration of membership is now done centrally (through RiderHQ), our regional network remains vitally important.  It provides a local and personal structure through which we can encourage and support race organisers; this is not something that is best done from a centralised function.  It is also a structure which can support a broader representation (at least from a geographical perspective) in BMCR decision making.

In the review we reduced the number of regions from ten to seven with all seven regions represented on the NEC.  This meant combining regions 1&2, 3&4, and splitting region 8 between regions 6 and 10.  With many people used to the old numbering system, we maintained the seven numbered regions as follows, and we simply do not use 1, 4 and 8.

Region 2          North of England and Scotland

Region 3          North Wales and Merseyside

Region 5          East & North Midlands

Region 6          West Midlands and Central & South Wales

Region 7          South East Midlands and East Anglia

Region 9          London and South England

Region 10        South West England

The two key roles in each region are regional race co-ordinator and regional representative on the NEC.  Most regions no longer maintain the other historic roles (registrar, secretary, treasurer etc) which were required for administering membership.

The regions are defined by the post code of a member’s  address.  For those members who do not have a UK post code, a virtual “Region  0” is set up on the system.

From 2025 we are using digital licenses and will no longer be sending out physical licenses. Digital licenses can be downloaded from your BMCR page on RiderHQ with versions available for both Apple (iPhone) and Android ‘phones.

If you are not able to access, or use, a digital license, a screenshot of your RiderHQ record will be accepted when signing-on. Screenshots can be shown on a phone or tablet, or printed to paper.

If the first come first served places have gone, you might be asked to join a waiting list. This enables organisers to allocate places based on other factors (such as previous results for a Championship or Stallard event) or their record of volunteering to help other events. You will not be charged an entry fee on joining the waiting list. You will be notified by the race organiser if you are allocated a place and the entry fee will then be payable.

On Rider HQ entries open eight weeks before the event at 5pm. So an event on a Sunday will open at 5pm on the Sunday eight weeks before the race.

No!  It is recognised that not everybody is in a position to give of their time. However, BMCR is totally dependent on volunteers, both to run the organisation and our races. So volunteering is an essential part of our culture. Volunteers are hugely appreciated and get priority when race entries are oversubscribed.

There are lots of roles including: car drivers; marshalling; first aid; catering; signing-on officials; finish line judges; timing equipment operators; results processors; etc.