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I won't be out next Saturday (putting my feet up pre-Tumby's RR) so anyone like to volunteer to choose a route, make sure everyone knows roughly where it goes, and make sure everyone gets round it okay?

I'm a bit old school aswell but not wanting to analise Saturdays ride too closely because everyone has to compromise a bit on a group ride. But it is a training ride and should be aimed at those racing or aiming to race and those participating should be fairly self sufficient and able to look after themselves. Like many I dont have much time to train so I try to get as much out of training as I can. But if this wasnt the case and I wasnt racing just yet I'm not sure I would be doing these rides just yet and would probably do one of the longer Saturday or Sunday rides. Reason being more enjoyable riding, more hills, longer rides build stamina.
The problem with the training rides as they are is they are like a slow motion long distance break. You'll struggle to race if you can only hold 21mph for 3 hours. Better if you can handle 25 / 26 mph in the wheels for the last hour?
The ride was tying me in knots on Saturday on the stretch after Helperby when Darren & Willhub were on the front - I was all over the place. But I managed to stay with them and as soon as we started working properly I was fine although it was hard. I just did half minute turns, no heroics aiming to keep the speed over 25mph.
My point is it may be worth knocking the speed back a mile an hour for the first hour and a half just to get more in the mix when the pace picks up for the last hour - which it should?

I agree with Paul. I go out with all the groups, and it's great how everyone looks out for each other on the clubrun, intermediates, K ride etc, and that's absolutely the way it should be, but I think the training ride is a little different. I'm not saying we abandon someone who punctures or something in the first 10 mile, but once we turn for home you really do need to be fine with getting back by yourself if you get dropped. With so many groups to choose from why would you start with the training ride if you're an inexperienced rider?

I've said it before.. at times the training ride is like a Howard or intermediate ride for people who don't want to do a cafe stop and want to be home for dinner. Too much emphasis is placed on practising through and off at times, (and yes 3 hours of it is too much), instead of drilling it, and putting some hurt in the legs, then racing won't come as such a shock.

I have to say, despite it being hard on Saturday it was absolutely bloody brilliant! I didn't mind making my own way back 'cos it was worth it for the first 2 hours' group riding, which I haven't done before. For me it was good to see everyone just getting on with it and keeping the turns going at the front. It seems to me that the only way to get better at riding at that sort of pace is keeping coming out and giving it a go. Yes it hurts, but that is really the point isn't it?

I'll definitely be out for more (but not this weekend cos i'm Ryedale Rumbling on Sunday!)

Come on then.....is someone going to lead next week's. How about the West route (no, I'm not leading it because I don't know that one well enough).

Any routes with hills?

Just my two-pennuth on the general "what's a training ride" theme. The problem with a one-size-fits-all ride is than in addition to different levels of fitness and ability, the ride fulfils different requirements for different people. For some it seems like the most intense training they do in the week, for others it's almost the summer equivalent of "long steady distance", with the chaingang and/or solo intervals and/or midweek races (Tockwith) providing the top-end. For me it's my one long ride each week during the race season, so I basically want something along the lines of "the fastest I can go for three hours".

I think what's come back from the postings on here is that pretty much everyone gets something from a ride like last week's. I agree with Darren though that everyone needs to know how to find their way home if dropped; this is different to how the training ride was when I started out with Clifton - more like the chaingang. But, at this time of year when people want to get a move on, it's fair. Hence the suggested four routes which everyone gets to know.

Which leads neatly back to... ...where are you going this Saturday?!?

I fancy a potter on the K ride saturday, but I should be out on the training ride again in a couple of weeks....save the west route for when I'm out and I can climb off in Sherburn.

I'd like to go on a rolling route this Saturday, maybe one steep hill like bulmer included? But I doubt that'd be something anyone else would want to do.

The Eastern route?????

If you decide to do the East route, then it's:-

York - Stockton Lane - Upper Helmsley - Buttercrambe - Norton - left past Malton station and left onto main street heading towards York, fork right at top of hill on road to Coneysthorpe - Terrington - left down Terrington Bank - Sherrif - Strensall - York. Rolling with a few hills and some taxing drags.

Aw not again we did that a fortnight ago .....I suppose I could lead it though as I know the route very well.......well lead it until the first drag

I'm definitely up for coming out this Saturday on the training ride, last Saturday was tough for me but I loved it to be fair!

Just need to be sure on the route?!

If I get dropped I get dropped! I'm more than happy to make my own way back.

Can we go do hill repeats of Sutton Bank?

Why on earth would you want to do hill repeats on a group training ride? Head out there and get repeating if you want to, Will - that's what weekdays are for!