This Sunday the hills will be alive with the sound of the Ivinghoe Velos. Each of our three routes has some vertical challenges, so bring your climbing legs or your granny ring.

9am 54 miles visiting Butlers Cross, Wardrobes and Hampden Road, over 3,000 feet of climbing this will challenge even the goats amongst our ranks. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34503952

10am 35 miles with 2,000 feet of climbing taking us towards Chesham and back via Toms Hill a great test of the legs https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34517967

10.30am 20 miles taking riders over the Beacon to Berkhamsted https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34518007

Please arrive at Ivinghoe church before your intended ride start time, groups of up to six riders will form based on expected pace as usual. Please arrive with the route etched into your memory or saved on your GPS so when you are leading out your group you are able to take the right turns!

Next week (Sunday 8th November) is Remembrance Sunday, in usual times we aim to break our rides up with a stop at a church at 11am, doing three 15 mile laps from 9am, two 15 mile laps from 10am or one 15 mile lap from 11.15am. It would be great to get some rider input on this years plan so please discuss and feedback on Sunday.

Here are our three routes to choose from for Sunday 25th October. Usual arrangements for joining rides, maintaining groups of six or fewer riders. Please note the clocks change the night before our rides so if you don’t read this and usually cycle at 10am you might find yourself on a 50 mile ride to Whitwell. In fact you don’t need that extra time in bed, so come along anyway!

9am ride: 50 miles in Bedfordshire including the Luton Busway after some lovely lanes around Lilley and Whitwell https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34409353

10am ride: 35 miles Flat out to Bishopstone https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34467147

10.30 ride: 24 miles, Fast and flat to Halton https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34467169

Please arrive with an idea of your selected route, we aim to leave no riders behind but if you take a wrong turn things become tricky.

Three routes as usual for Sunday 18th October. At the time of writing the weather looks favourable. Recent turnouts has been good, it’s great we are able to exercise and socialise in safe groups numbers.

The 9am route takes a rest from hills this week and travels along the Waddesden Greenway for the first time. Whilst it’s a great surface we will need to remember its a multi purpose path, so we may get over taken by joggers or pram pushers. This route is a great opportunity for anyone who has been considering joining the longer ride as it’s an easy peasy flatish 50 miles.

The 10am route at 33 miles is a feast of climbing with at least 4 challenging ascents! Visiting Aston Hill, Bull Beggers Lane, Red Lion Lane and Hudnall Lane seriously testing climbing ability, luckily what goes up also comes down, so there will be some great descents to enjoy too!

The 10.30 route also has it’s fair share of ups, taking in Dancers End as well as Toms Hill, a nice one to keep riders warm!

Following on from previous weeks organisation, it’s likely that we will need to split into pace groups, so please select the group (of up to six riders) most appropriate for your legs & lungs, or maybe you want to switch it up a bit and ride with some different riders this weekend?

Please arrive before your ride start time with the route committed to memory or at least Garmin, enjoy the ride and stay safe.

9am: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34407103

10am: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34411333

10.30am: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34411351

After mass non participation due to the inclemency of the weather last Sunday, we are doing our bit for the environment and recycling the 9am ride. At least with the spare time riders had last Sunday they would have been able to fit mudguards ready for riding through the rest of the winter. Not only do mudguards protect your bike and clothing, they also protect the vison of the rider sucking your back wheel, so a necessary addition this time of year. Also take extra care around water bottles and helicopters, lets stay safe out there. The 10.30 ride, which is a social ride suitable for beginners as well as seasoned professionals, is also recycled from last Sunday, while the 10am route is brand spanking new this week. Pease ensure you have your route mapped out on paper or uploaded onto your GPS device. We meet by Ivinghoe church and ask that riders arrive before the ride start and quickly navigate to the group of six or less riding at their expected pace.

9am ride: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34277940

10am ride https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34339382

10.30 ride https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34314945