FOUR ride options for local riders this week including a beginners and returners ride at 10.45 specifically for people who have not ridden with the group before and are fairly new to cycling or those who may have ridden with us in the distant past but had forgotten they had a bike in the garage/shed/spare room. We welcome new faces to our rides, whether that be individuals or small groups. Our rides are non competitive, non racing and usually finish with beer and chips or coffee and cake!
All rides this week start from the bus shelter outside Ivinghoe church. General rule of thumb is the shorter the ride the lower the average pace. The new starters ride will be ridden at a pace to suit the slowest riders, on the other rides the Pace ranges from 13 mph to 17mph depending on the amount of hills on a route. New riders are welcome on any of the rides if they have the legs and experience to fit in. If riders are looking for higher speeds some local cycling clubs have a few quicker options for you!
9.30am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50463253 38 miles to Kinsbourne Green
10am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50340017 29 miles through Wing and Cubblington
10.30am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50435815 21 miles through Eaton Bray and Wingrave
10.45 am starters and returners https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45284748 14 miles local miles without any big hills
As we enter May next week we operate “summer mode” the longer rides revert to 9am and on the first Sunday of the month rides will include a coffee stop. The 9am rides will stretch out to around 100km on some weeks with destinations such as Benson, Silverstone, Brill and knebworth. There will also be several opportunities to “park and ride” where we set a start point an hour’s drive from Ivinghoe so we can enjoy rides in different counties.
Extra read if you have nothing else to do! Below is a little extract from a post sent out a couple of years ago, I think most parts of it are still applicable today
Ivinghoe Velos are a bunch of cyclists who enjoy getting out together sharing rides on local roads as well as the odd trip away. We are a non-competitive group who pride ourselves on our friendly appoach to road cycling, enjoying the health and social benfits that go along with regular exercise as well as the odd well earned beer after a ride (optional!) The group has no fees or membership and has been planning routes on a purely voluntary basis every Sunday since 2010
Route planners and post publishers by no means guarantee the safety of riders while out on the roads, suitable care and safety equipment is needed for each individual, who takes part in rides at their own risk.
Riding together makes the miles a bit easier with some shelter from head winds, some conversation (when not completely out of breath) and a group to latch on to when every part of your body is telling you it’s time to stop! Usually when riding in a group you have a higher average speed as you spend less time pushing against the wind- unless you are super-fit and ride at 17mph+ on your own, in which case we are probably not the group for you.
On the flat and shallow hills we try to ride close together as the group will function better as a cohesive unit rather than dropping riders and stopping for them to catch up, The sum of the parts should be greater than the individuals. Teamwork makes the dream work! On steeper hills (up and down!) everyone has their own pace, so we will regroup once the hill has been completed, either stopping completely or slowing the pace to allow everyone to catch up. No one should be left behind until we get to the final sprint a mile or so from home and then if you have anything left in the legs you can push on!
Roll on Sunday!