The weather looks lovely tomorrow, so get your bike out and come and join us. 10 am outside the Rose and Crown, as always the speed set by the slowest rider so come along, that rider could be you!
The ride is ideal for people who haven’t cycled for a while and are thinking about starting again. All welcome.
Andrew, Jose and Gary continue with their efforts to raise money for Action Medical Research. To help them with their efforts please sponsor them here. Watch this space for a chance to win free entry into the AMR Bucks 100 and other great prizes 🙂
It’s the Bank Holiday weekend and we are going big with the rides this week.
Giro d’Aylesbury
Dave ‘The Hill’ Howe has designed a great route circumnavigating Aylesbury that is actually pretty flat. Just as well because it will be around the 55 mile mark, so we plan for this ride to leave earlier than normal. It will depart from the Rose & Crown at 9am. If required, we will split in to groups based on the assembled abilities. Given the distance, please bring enough liquids just in case the sun makes an appearance.
Our other resident routemaster, Dave Bembridge has put together a great route for the regular ride on Sunday. He will be leading the ‘steady’ paced group that is suitable for all riders. We don’t have a lead yet for the 13mph group so we plan to elect one on the day. This ride will start at the usual time of 10am from the usual place, The Rose & Crown, Ivinghoe.
We would like to congratulate the Vinghoe Velos Ladies who successfully competed the Sussex Davina 100 ride a couple of weeks ago. They did a FAB job of representing the club and the finishing times were pretty flipping brilliant. Well done girls, you did us all proud. Also well done to Mr Hetherington for completing the very tough job of being Ms MaCall’s bodyguard for the event – we aren’t jealous at all, honestly.
Our route this week has been planned by Dave Bembridge, who has also kindly offered to lead out a ‘steady’ ride again. At this time, we don’t have a volunteer to lead the 13mph group so we will sort that appointment out on the day. As usual we meet at the Rose and Crown, Ivinghoe from 9:45am with a view to starting off at 10am.
One last thing. We were reminded last week by one of the group that we probably should be clear about our legal standpoint regarding everyones’ personal responsibilities – so here goes. Those who lead out a group, the route planners, those who send the postings out each week, and those who organise things like our trip to France, in no way make any assurances as to the safety of any rides organised under the ‘Vinghoe Velos’ banner. Each participant is wholly responsible for their own safety, road worthiness of their steed, legal requirements to abide by the highway code and any insurances each individual feels are necessary.
While I am afraid that this post doesn’t have the eloquence and wordiness of my partners in crime, I can at least entertain you with news of a new main route for our enjoyment this Sunday. Route-mapper extraordinaire Dave “Hardly any hills, honest” Howe has come up with another corker that takes us over to sunny Redbourn. Jose has kindly agreed to lead out the 13 mph group on this ride. For anyone who wants a faster pace, there will be a “bat out of hell” group that follows the same route.
A special word of caution for this route – there is a bit at the end of a dead end road a (around the 13.5 mile mark) where we have to get off the bike to cross a pavement. It is so that we can get across the A5183 safely so don’t be too concerned if your presented with a No Through Road just after riding through Redbourn.
Another piece of good news this week is that Dave “cycling tutor to the stars” Bembridge has planned a shorter ride for the more sensibly paced amongst us. The length will be 25 miles but there is a sneaky short cut built in for those who just want to do 20. The route isn’t ready for publishing yet, but Dave assures us that it is relatively flat and he will be leading it out. Our normal motto applies – no rider will be left behind so please feel free to join us no matter what your ability.
While pedalling through the lanes one day
In the merry merry month of May
We were taken by surprise
By a pair of roguish eyes
We were scared but didn’t run away!
He walked along so daintily
Moving as graceful as can be.
His legs were like the trunks of a tree
We hardly came up to his knee.
He looked at me again
And I knew we would be friends.
He’s just a little bigger than me!
He had the cutest baby too
About as old as me and you.
Maybe soon one day
We could all go out and play
And be friends with one
Elephant in Pitstone
He walked along so daintily
Moving as graceful as can be.
I though I’d seen a lot of things
From Mentmore to the town of Tring,
From his tail up to his trunk,
From the back up to the front.
The elephant is so astonishing!
Apologies all, the sudden and it would seem, ongoing, sighting of a gorgeous golden glow in the skies appears to have gone to my head.
So, ramblings complete (had to go for the nursery rhyme version rather than Ed Haley original lyrics), all on parade for 10am please, Rose & Crown, Ivinghoe.