Frequently Asked Questions

Below, you will find answers to some common questions people have when thinking of joining the Club. If you have any other questions, please let us know via the Contact Us page.
  • How do I join? You can apply online for membership and then make your payment using a debit/credit card, paypal or by setting up a direct debit.
  • How big is the club? The club is one of the biggest in the country – in recent years we have consistently welcomed over 400 members!
  • Do I have to live in Manchester? We have members from Salford, Cheshire, Derbyshire and even a few overseas members. If you are willing to travel to training sessions, we are happy to welome you to our friendly club.
  • How much does membership cost? We have two levels of membership, Gold and Bronze. Gold membership entitles you to attend as many training sessions as you like at no additional cost; if you plan on attending two or more sessions a week then Gold membership offers the best value for money. You can pay upfront, or via direct debit. Bronze membership entitles you to attend as many sessions as you like on a ‘Pay As You Go Basis’. You pay an upfront one off cost and then purchase training credit (see below) to attend training sessions. The cost of membership and details how to join can be found here.
  • I am a bronze member how do I purchase training credit? Training credits are used by Bronze members to pay for training sessions – £5 credit per session attended. To purchase training credits you need to log into your account via https://www.niftyentries.com/ where you can top up credit on your account via credit or debit card. This credit will be deducted from your account automatically when you sign into a training session.
  • Can I join if I only want to do duathlons as I don’t like swimming? Yes. We have members who only do duathlons and a few who concentrate on only one sport.
  • Do you cater for all ability levels? Yes. Every year we welcome members from absolute beginners who want to give triathlon a try, some who have never ridden a bike on the road before, right through to a large proportion of our members who represent GB at Age Group.
  • Where can I get more information about the club? You can contact us with specific questions or use the Facebook page.
  • Can I come to some training session to see if I like the club before joining? You are welcome to come along and watch some sessions, please ensure you arrange this with the new member contact ([email protected]). For insurance reasons, you are not permitted to train with us until you actually join.
  • Do you do open water swim training? The Club does not organise open water swim sessions, but our Club members often attend open water sessions at local venues such as Sale Water Park, Salford Quays, and Boundary Water Park.
  • What swim sessions do you do? There are coached swim sessions on every day of the week apart from Sunady. These are held either at the Manchester Aquatics Centre, Moss Side Leisure Centre or Stretford Leisure Centre.
  • What run sessions do you do? Track training is every Wednesday 7-8.00pm, , at Longford Park Stadium in Stretford. There is also a non-coached weekly run session on Monday nights. See the training pages for more info when you have joined.
  • What bike sessions do you do? In winter we have a weekly club ride on a Sunday morning at 9.00am. It starts from the clock-tower in Didsbury. In Summer the club rides stop but MTC members take part in 10 mile time trials put on by Westmead 88 on a Wednesday evening. There are also weekly turbo sessions.
  • Can I go out on a club ride on a mountain bike? Yes you can use any bike. 1 or 2 riders use them but most will use a road bike with smooth tyres and drop handlebars.
  • How far/fast do you go on a club ride? I’m afraid I will not be able to keep up! Club rides are from 30 to 50 miles, that’s 2 to 3 ½ hours. We usually go along at 15-18 mph. However we usually spilt in to groups of different abilities. We will all start together and ride as one group to get out of Manchester then split in to 2 or 3 depending on how many riders there are. The fast riders often go on a hillier ride than the slow group.
  • Do I need a bike with mudguards? Yes. We request that mudguards are used by all members joining the weekly club ride as a courtesy to fellow riders.
If you still have any questions that have not been answered, please contact [email protected]