Apple Tree
GT Fan
It is interesting how rides have changed in my Club.
10 years ago we would have struggled to get a dozen out on a Sunday morning for a single medium pace ride but now, with the boom in cycling and a big increase in membership, we have 4 rides each Sunday at different speeds, distance and ability levels. This also helps to keep groups smaller, for traffic and café stop reasons, nevertheless we still end up with popular rides 20/25 strong on sunny summer Sundays.
We have two set loop rides for the racers and fitter riders, a fast of c.60 miles and a medium/fast of c.50 miles. This is generally unled in the formal sense although there is always some one that knows the route. There may be a café stop or not at half way depending on how people feel.
Then we have two more touring pace rides with café stops at advertised locations, a medium pace 50 miles and an easy pace 30/40 miles. All rides start at 9.30am from usually two different locations.
We are happy for people to join us either as unattached or other Club riders but we recommend they start with a lesser pace/distance ride first before moving up if they want to. To assist this we have a "Come and Try" ride once a month which is an easy pace 25 mile afternoon ride to a tea shop. You never know who will come out on this. It could be a race ready rider recently moved to the area, perhaps from overseas, looking for a race Club or some one heavily over weight who fails at the first hill. Hopefully we get them all to the tea shop and then advise which of our rides to go on next.
We also have on light summer evenings a 20/25 mile ride on a Wednesday.
Riders are encouraged with Club Run points with the award at the end of the season with a couple of trophies.
A full program !
10 years ago we would have struggled to get a dozen out on a Sunday morning for a single medium pace ride but now, with the boom in cycling and a big increase in membership, we have 4 rides each Sunday at different speeds, distance and ability levels. This also helps to keep groups smaller, for traffic and café stop reasons, nevertheless we still end up with popular rides 20/25 strong on sunny summer Sundays.
We have two set loop rides for the racers and fitter riders, a fast of c.60 miles and a medium/fast of c.50 miles. This is generally unled in the formal sense although there is always some one that knows the route. There may be a café stop or not at half way depending on how people feel.
Then we have two more touring pace rides with café stops at advertised locations, a medium pace 50 miles and an easy pace 30/40 miles. All rides start at 9.30am from usually two different locations.
We are happy for people to join us either as unattached or other Club riders but we recommend they start with a lesser pace/distance ride first before moving up if they want to. To assist this we have a "Come and Try" ride once a month which is an easy pace 25 mile afternoon ride to a tea shop. You never know who will come out on this. It could be a race ready rider recently moved to the area, perhaps from overseas, looking for a race Club or some one heavily over weight who fails at the first hill. Hopefully we get them all to the tea shop and then advise which of our rides to go on next.
We also have on light summer evenings a 20/25 mile ride on a Wednesday.
Riders are encouraged with Club Run points with the award at the end of the season with a couple of trophies.
A full program !
