Ride Organisation

[Tullio]

There's a lot of discussion going on at the moment about the different rides we organise as a club, some on these pages. So I thought I'd use the Discussion Forum for, er, a discussion.

It's no secret that over recent years 10am on Saturday has become like Le Mans start line with a huge number of riders arriving looking for their fix of weekly Social Ride. Traditionally, Sunday's have always been a Cycling Club's weekly 'Club Ride' so it's always baffled some of us why Sunday's are, relatively, shorter on numbers. Spring is in the air which is when more of us 'pull back the curtains' from a winter slumber and get out more so we thought it worth reviewing and discussing;

- what rides do you do and why?
- what rides would you like to see more of? There's been talk of additional weekend rides that are only half day, regular 'beginner/novice' rides, summer evening rides.
- ideas how we can relieve the pressure from the Square at 10am on Saturdays? There are many reasons why this isn't a good idea (safety, image of the Club, disorganisation etc)
- most importantly, we need more volunteers to lead a ride or two. Many of you tick the box on your annual membership application saying you're willing to lead rides so now's your chance.

Many people are happy to just turn up and join the rides that are laid on. However, as with many voluntary Sports Clubs, activities are put on for the members by the members so it needs constant involvement by people to help with organising. In the case of ride leading it isn't that onerous an can be rewarding.

Let the discussion begin.......

[caja27]

The club needs something in between 'all day long cafe' and short 'pro like fitness' training rides. Earlier PROMPT starts, between 0800 in warm weather and 0900 winter, home by noon. A fast but not 'race pace' three/four hour maximum ride.

These rides 'could' be a step up to the training rides while they build fitness and learn to bunch ride safely.

The cafe rides are fun but not everyone wants to or can give up a whole day and the training rides are merciless unless you can keep up constant pro- like training regime and remain injury free.

I'm more than happy to help set up or support Saturday and Sunday rides like this. My work means I do travel so I can't always make it every single week but we are a massive club so between a few of us...?

There was a nice initiative around October last year just like this that was very popular. What happened?

[Cyan Skymoos]

19 mph average training rides aren't pro like or race pace". The training rides are geared for people who are/want to race, if anything they should be getting faster now. This pace is tickling the pedals for the average 3rd cat.... If folks are finding this pace hard they are in for one almighty shock when they pin a number on their back.

[caja27]

Cyan, cat 3's are not the only riders out there.

I'm making an observation about what the club could do to address Tullio's question, I'm not attacking a minority group of riders who are already getting their needs met. Positive comments and proposals might be a better way to contribute to the club forums that is, if we want it to be an inclusive and friendly encouraging community

[G.]

I don't get out on as many as I'd like, but I do really appreciate the fact that we have lots of rides on Saturdays. I'm a Christian so Sunday morning is church time for me, so while I'll make an exception for special occasions, I wouldn't be able to do any regular rides that started then. Obviously there will be some people for whom the reverse is true but I know I'm not the only one in my situation in the club.

[Fiona]

I've been struggling to stay with the pace of the training since mid January, i'm just about ok to the 2hr mark then the wheels come off. Yet in my first race with 90+ men and about 10 ladies, i didn't get a nasty shock. In fact it was quite the opposite, I was pleasantly surprised that i managed to stay with the bunch without too much trouble.

Maintaining 20+mph on the westerley training route (lumpy) for 3hrs is a bit more than i can manage. 19mph i can cope with, but the pace is above that now and getting faster. 20mph on a flat route such as the southerly is not so much of a problem.

I would very much welcome the reintroduction of the 08:50 training ride. It'd be nice to stay with the group for the full 3hrs and be able to do plenty of work on the front and feel like i'm contributing rather than just hanging on for grim death for 40 miles then making my own way home

[Cyan Skymoos]

Just pointing out that the training ride isn't an elite group of racers going at race pace, for the most part it's a bunch of overweight old blokes racing as 4th cats, going at 4th cat pace.

[Sharpy]

Just pointing out that the training ride isn't an elite group of racers going at race pace, for the most part it's a bunch of overweight old blokes racing as 4th cats, going at 4th cat pace.

So by that logic it is broadly pointless for anyone more that a Cat 4? Not doing a great job of selling it either way.

[Cyan Skymoos]

Not at all Sharpy, a 19/20mph training ride will have some training effect on any category of rider.

[Dr Dave]

Probably best if this thread doesn't degenerate into a squabble over what constitutes the optimum pace for a given ride. The training ride group have got a working set-up established and deserve great credit for this - esp Phil.

Those wanting a regular 9 til 12 ride can communicate on here and agree to meet up if they wish. If there is enough demand a group will self-select over the weeks and could then organise routes/leaders amongst themselves. The ride could then be advertised as a formal club ride at that point. The pace will be set by the group themselves.

Not sure there is really a problem with the existing 10 til 4 rides apart from the burden/responsibility that Kev shoulders. Perhaps he needs a deputy/assistant to share the load. If a horde of riders turn up they could just get split into more groups. Perhaps a limit on group numbers for official club rides could be imposed but personally I feel this is autocratic and counter to the inclusive feel the club should be trying to create.

[Karl M]

- ideas how we can relieve the pressure from the Square at 10am on Saturdays?

The pressure seems to comes from the number of cyclists wanting a K ride. Could we agree that a group of over 16 cyclists starts to get too big? Because 16 cyclists as 8 pairs takes up to 20 metres of tarmac- nearly the length of a lorry, making it a bit dangerous for cars to overtake.

To relieve this pressure by maintaining the K rides to 16 or fewer, would it be an idea to have in reserve a second “K” route at 10 am to a different cafe when 17 or more turn up? A route ridden from several weeks earlier so we've nearly forgotten about it .
The weekly Clifton email might read: "K ride to ___. *If* there are more than 16 riders, a second group will go to ___."
So with 18 "K" riders at the square, it could be 7 in one group and 11 in another.
Surely this would be fairly easy to implement and, on popular Saturdays, give K riders the choice of two routes (making it even more popular… )?

Two K groups of 16 would accommodate up to 32 riders- perhaps only a few Saturdays in a year are there more than this. On those occasions maybe nudge a few onto the Intermediates/”A” as they rarely have more than 12.
Anyway, I feel daft suggesting this because Kevin does a great job at the Square, as shown by the numbers who turn up!

[Antlazarus]

Here's what my old Leicester club do. The dynamics of the clubs are a bit different, with in my opinion Leicester Forest being more beginner friendly, and Clifton offering a lot more for stronger riders (speed or distance). But I thought it is worth sharing another club's rides.

There are two Saturday rides that meet in the same place 8.30 and 9.00. They ride to the same cafe, but the 8.30 adds in an extra loop to arrive at the same time, which works out at about 40 miles before an ideally brief cafe stop. The 8.30 then ramps up as much as it likes on the way home, and people peel off home, or do more miles if they want. The advantage of keeping roughly the same route, is it does not require as much organisation.

Then there are very short 20 mile rides on the Sundays for very new riders.

Personally I am happy going on the training rides, but I remember when I moved to York, I thought I would go on the socials initially, which were a bit brutal. 90 odd hilly miles were too much for me.

[Allan]

Just to chuck my tupence ha'penny's worth in, I agree with Caja27's proposal.
Of late I have not joined the club saturday morning rides because i like to be out and off early, put my 3-4 hours in at 16-18mph (if the legs allow) and be home for lunch with the kids. Perhaps once in a full moon I may be priveleged enough to receive the pass out for the day, and I would likely then join the k or the inters (safe in the knowledge that a mention on the dispatches by Darren N would satisfy the 'warden' of my whereabouts on a full day unsupervised!)
I did join the training ride group in late autumn for a couple of years but fell off the pace as they all ramped up in the New Year.
I would like to see a shorter ride based on a prompt 8 or 9am start. Whilst I cannot guarantee that I would be there every week, I would be happy to propose a route and lead on the day.

[Broom Wagon]

a bunch of overweight old blokes racing as 4th cats,

who are all too quick for me

To honest I find all the rides of about a similar pace - a bit too hard for me. The difference being that on the social rides you'd expect people to ease up somewhere to let everyone catch up. You can't expect that on the training ride.

For me my preference is the training ride simply because it offers me the best value training for the shortest investment of time. Often owing to work it's the only ride I get, though that being the case I try to do a couple of hours too on a Sunday on my own. A mid point ride won't end up any slower because we're all a competitive bunch (that's why we ride bikes) and everyone will end up trying to ride with the fastest rider, who will then ride faster - that's just the way it is.

[Jez]

Glad this topic has come up.... and so I'll throw in my thoughts.

I'd be keen to see a social/leisurely ride option that doesn't last all day. It would mean meeting at 10/11ish (after all it is the weekend) and then cycling perhaps 15-20 miles out to a cafe/pub for coffee/lunch then about the same back again.

Would be happy for this to be either Saturday or Sunday. Is anyone else interested in this kind of ride?