10.30am short option https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49746783

10am medium/short https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49742412

10am medium https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49749945

Three routes this Sunday 21 miles, 28 miles and 38 miles. The short route goes to Dancers End (Tring) before returning along the same roads. The short/medium route is an anti-clockwise bypass of Leighton Buzzard, much nicer than visiting the town. The medium route climbs to the highest point in the Chilterns before dropping down for 2 wind assisted attempts at the segment of the month from Long Marston to Cheddington. If the weather is bad, as it may well be, the Wingrave loop can be removed to make it 29 miles.

Providing you are able to leave the house, climbing round the mountain of cards by your front door, or the fine display of red roses in every vase you own, you’ll be wanting to ride your bike on Sunday morning.

Three route options, thanks to Richard for short & short/medium. The longest one has a seasonal theme, with a trip up Love Lane (last visited by the ivinghoe Velos in February 2024). All route this week start from Ivinghoe church.

10am medium: Love Lane https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49682848 37 miles to Chipperfield

10am short/medium: Love Alley https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49674965 28 miles to tottenhoe

10.30am short: Love Path https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49675097 21 miles to Wingrave

Three rides to tempt you out on two wheels this Sunday. Thanks to Dave and Richard for providing route plans…. Please note the longest ride this Sunday has a different start point, to enable us to reach slightly further afield on the route. The other two routes leave from our traditional starting point, Ivinghoe Church. All rides finish outside the Rose and Crown Ivinghoe. We aim to leave no one behind, so which ever route you ride, the aim is to stay together as a group.

Routes are

10am medium/long, 38 miles to Maple Cross. Starting from the corner of Denny’s Lane and Shooters Way in Berkhamsted (what three words essential.astounded.muffin) https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49613692

10am Medium/short 29 miles to Terrick. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49619606

10.30am short 20 miles to Northchurch. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49619884

All routes start from outside Ivinghoe church

10am medium long https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49571978

10am medium short https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49570347

10.30 short https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49513648

This week in the style of famous comedians we have three routes for you, it will be nice to see you, to see you nice on Sunday (bonus points if you can count all the quotes)

At 10.30 I shall say this only once, we have a lovey little route provided by Richard F it’s a 21 mile loop with a sting in the tail, You’ll be saying “you are awful, but I like you” as you finally get to the decent off the Beacon https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49513648 so enjoy the hi-de-hi route. if you’ve not been out in a while, I hope you are thinking “I’m free”

At 10am we have a Dave B special 27 mile outing worth squeezing into Lycra for, does my bum look big in this?- suit you sir. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49515685 it’s a Lovely jubbly Wendover circular, super smashing, great if you ask me. As you cycle past RAF Halton Don’t mention the war, safe to just say “I know nothing” you stupid boy.

Also at 10am over 33 miles, I have a cunning plan, I’m sure you won’t be saying “there’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into” with this one….. And now for something completely different? no, it’s a copy of a recent Thursday ride https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49263639 33 miles, looks like a leaf, boring? How very dare you!

The weather over the next few days might be tricky- I don’t believe it, yeah but no but, I think Sunday morning could be ok. (Computer says no). If not the Rose and Crown will feel warmer, shut that door you dirty old man, keep off the nice seats. Enjoy some cheesy chips or garlic bread, it’s all done in the best possible taste. Finish the day off with just a wafer thin mint? job done, Back of the net!

All routes start at Ivinghoe church we leave on time, just like that, so don’t be late and have to chase me, that’s you that is, you plonker, with a super high heart rate. So what’s occurring? how you doing? Coming out on Sunday, no no no no no no, yes?

Routes may look familiar as we were unable to ride them last week due to ice, we give it a go again on Sunday- for a couple of these it could be third time lucky!

Thanks to Dave B and Richard F for providing routes for everyone to enjoy. All rides this week start from the church in Ivinghoe at the stated start times. We aim to leave no one behind! At the time of writing the forecast is reasonable for Sunday but as always during the winter months we need a degree of flexibility, if conditions are unsafe we can switch to a mountain bike ride or a later start time.

If at first you don’t succeed, try try again is a saying that has origins dating back to Robert The Bruce, King of Scotland. He told his troops to try, try again at the battle of Bannockburn. It is said that the Scottish king watched a spider spin a web three times over before it worked, which inspired him to urge his troops to keep trying.

Speaking of Scotland and postponements, there was a Scottish cup tie in 1979 between Inverness Thistle and Falkirk which was postponed due to poor weather 29 times across 47 days, so we can count ourselves lucky to be in the southeast of England where riding most weekends is still possible.

Enough of Scotland (did I mention Burns night next weekend?) here are the rides (again)

10.30am short https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49354835

10am short/medium https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49411797

10am medium https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49374157

10.30 short, repeat of last week as it was unused https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49354835

10am short/medium https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49411797

10am medium, repeat of last week as it was unused https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49374157

Thanks to Dave B and Richard F for providing routes for everyone to enjoy. All rides this week start from the church in Ivinghoe at the stated start times. We aim to leave no one behind! At the time of writing the forecast is very reasonable for Sunday but as always during the winter months we need a degree of flexibility, if conditions are unsafe we can switch to a mountain bike ride or a later start time.

A couple of challenges to help motivate riders to get outdoors and ride with others, you need to ride regularly with us and be a member of the “Ivinghoe Velos current riders” Strava group to take part.

1. weekly mileage points competition- 10 points for the most outdoor miles in a week, on a sliding scale down to 1 point for the 10th most miles ridden, tallies will be kept across the year
2. Monthly segment challenges: Could you post a personal best time on our featured segment? might you become the local legend? Could you post the fastest or slowest time of anyone in the group during the month or even all time? What other category makes you a winner? Our first featured segment is the Cheddington to Long Marston Express. Wind direction and group assistance are crucial on this one!

Roll on Sunday.

Happy new year! Three rides for the first Sunday of 2025. Rides start from Ivinghoe church.

10.30 short ride 20 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49354835

10am short medium ride 28 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49355298

10am medium 35 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49374157

A very merry Christmas to all Ivinghoe Velos riders! Remember that time when you dashed down stairs to find Santa had been and there was a bike shaped object roughly covered by wrapping paper? (I try to recreate that feeling on a regular basis). Surely a new bike is the greatest ever Christmas present, unlocking new adventures and experiences with friends.

So get that feeling back on Sunday 29th December by joining one of our rides, carefully curated to not put too much stress of the “Christmas body”. Three route options for you, a shorter 10.30 ride and two 10am rides. All Ivinghoe velos outings come with the usual price guarantee, if you can find the activities cheaper elsewhere we will give you your money back!

10am ride 1: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49309365 27 miles “Early Resolution”

10am ride 2 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49265586 34 miles “Flat Crested”

10.30am ride https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49309045 22 miles “Turkey Trot”

Roll on Sunday

The people have spoken and the ride plan is set! This week there were 4 choices for the 10am ride with a public vote to decide the direction of the ride. 71% of the vote has steered us towards Whipsnade Zoo!

The route tackles Bison Hill and has a total elevation gain of 1,812 over 30 miles, this has a higher climb ratio than our usual weekly outings, a great pre-Christmas test. As ever the pub awaits riders to help refuel and recover post ride.

The ride starts at Ivinghoe Church at 10am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49265555

Wishing everyone a very merry Christmas and happy and healthy new year, hopefully there will be the odd ad-hoc ride planned for the festive season and we will of course be route planning for the Sunday after Christmas!