Monthly Archives: July 2023

Save The Date! Well well, Wells

rides

After riding in West Yorkshire in 2023 and Tewksbury in 2022 we head west again to Wells in Somerset. Wells is the UK’s second smallest city (the city of London is smaller in area and population). The weekend of Friday 17th May 2024 to Monday 20th May 2024 will be our planned trip. Wells offers some great variation in rides along with a reasonable choice in accomodation and eateries. It’s a 3 hour drive so we can ride in the afternoon of the day of arrival and on the morning of the day of departure.

Friday 17th May “the prolouge” a flat outing on the somerset levels to warm the legs up 45 miles with just 800 feet of climb, tea break in Burnham on sea!

Saturday 18th May “rouleurs paradise” 100km with a trip to Bath including the imposing Coombe Down tunnel which is over a mile long and just a couple of big climbs to start and finish the ride, Coffee at Bitton station buffet.

Sunday 19th May “the queen stage” a visit to the mendip hills for the climbing stage including Cheddar Gorge with lunch in the hills.

Monday 20th May “Recovery” a shorter ride with a coffee break in Glastonbury before thinking about heading home.

So scribble something on the calendar and get ready for a weekend adventure!

Ivinghoe Velos Routes for Sunday 23rd July 2023

rides

All our routes start from the church in Ivinghoe, our longest option is usually ridden over 15 mph unless it’s very hilly. The shorter routes can be anything from 13mph to 16mph depending the elevation and riders present. Please arrive before the suggested start time and split into pace groups so we don’t have more than 8 riders on the same bit of road at the same time, this isn’t fair on drivers. Whilst we aim to leave no one behind if your pace is considerably faster or slower than the rest of the group it would be appreciated that you know the route so you can get yourself back at your own pace.

9am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43730000 another trip to Wicken, but using some different roads than last time!

10am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34467232 Rocky Lane plucked from the archives, ridden back in October 2020 so the roads may have changed slightly!

10.30am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34206878 Hastoe Loop, ridden back in September 2020 when we were just entering “the rule of six” restrictions indoor and outdoors.

Ivinghoe Velos Rides For Sunday 16th July 2023

rides

Three routes for riders to choose from, all starting from Ivinghoe church

9am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36329980 52 miles

10am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43643145 39 miles

10.30am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43546215 22 miles

We are a group of friends who ride together rather than a club so we don’t have any hard and fast rules, preferring to enjoy the journey rather than worry about our sock length. There are no fees to ride with us, we just ask for some considerations to be made so everyone can stay as safe as possible and have a good ride experience.

If you get out and ride it will encourage others to continue, if you sit at home on a turbo trainer, or in front of the TV there may not be anyone to ride with when you want company in the future!

Ivinghoe Velos rides are routes suggestions based on local knowledge built up over years of riding. Suitable for road bikes and often using quiet road options. Occasionally we need to re-route due to road closures and mapping errors. As a group please solve these problems as safely as possible. Anyone is welcome to provide a ridewithgps course for us to follow in future weeks.

Those who lead out a group, the route planners, those who send the postings out each week in no way make any assurances as to the safety of any rides organised under the ‘ivinghoe 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.

Rides are usually between 14mph and 17mph depending on elevation. When rider numbers allow we split into groups based on pace. Generally our motto is ” we leave no one behind” but riders need to be realistic when joining a group with an expected pace, it’s no fun for anyone if one riders pace is considerably slower than all the other riders. Equally if a couple of riders push the pace beyond what is expected, the rest of the group might not be having fun.

When riding in a group the main benefit is the draft effect, saving around 25% effort when tucked in behind other riders. We expect riders to take a turn on the front when they able to do so and “hold the wheel” of riders in front on flat sections and shallow climbs. Looking over your shoulder and moderating your pace to ensure riders behind are still attached to the group is important wherever you are within your group and communicating if it looks like a riders has become detached (why not drag them back to the group rather than pushing on yourself?). On the flat the group should be close together so everyone benefits from the draft, work as a team, if there is a few bike lengths between riders you are not doing it right! On hills we wait at an appropriate safe spot to allow slower climbers to rejoin, you might want to make sure you are past the strava segment end!

Occasionally we have ridden in large groups with rider numbers in double figures. It’s important to remember we are quite a big obstacle to overtake, splitting into two small groups on main roads allows vehicles to overtake in stages. If you are mid-group take responsibility to manufacture this split- that’s you riding in position 7 in a group of 12. If a rider has manufactured a gap for this reason, don’t overtake and close the gap.

We have a stylish Ivinghoe Velos team kit which allows the public to identify us. Please be considerate, courteous and respect our reputation when riding in our groups. Shouting at motorists is unlikely to achieve anything other than a raise in your blood pressure. Smile and wave at other cyclists, even those too pro to wave back.

Occasionally due to traffic or mechanicals there can be splits in groups and we lose visibility of parts of the group. For this reason and for your time you spend on the front it’s important that every rider has a full understanding of the planned route.

Please arrive before the expected start time of our rides. We currently meet by the bus shelter outside Ivinghoe church. There is usually a poll on our facebook rear hub to establish who is out and riding which route.

Mudguards are much appreciated on winter rides, without them the rider behind you might as well be riding in the rain.

As we ride in a group, pointing out hazards is vital, riders within the group wont get much notice of dangerous pot holes, gravel and other slip hazards and maneuvers away from the usual line, please give visual and audible signals and also let other riders know if cars are unexpectedly close by.

Stay safe, have fun and enjoy the journey.

Ivinghoe Velos Routes For Sunday 9th July 2023

rides

At Le Tour riders compete for coloured jerseys, yellow for quickest (rider who keeps off the beers on a Saturday night) Polka dot for hill climbers (rider who eats the least pies) Green for spint points (last one to the pub buys the round) and white for young rider (not much call for this on our rides). After stages on the big race across France conversations take place behind locked hotel doors, in motorway services and pub car parks, riders are desperate to find out how they can get their hands on the two tone blue jerseys seen in a little corner of Buckinghamshire. These jerseys belong to an elite group of riders still cycling after their race days are over (or actually never started). Legend has it you can pick these jerseys up in local charity shops but for the full experience you really need to get yourself to Ivinghoe church on a Sunday morning.

Three routes to choose from this Sunday, all starting from the church in Ivinghoe. Thanks to Dave B for the medium and short options.

9am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43566160 60 miles, Dry? Blackthorn.

10am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43546146 29.4 miles  Markyate to Dunstable Downs Climb.. Slightly longer version than previously.

10.30am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43546215 Dagnal across to Stanbridge and back via Slapton..Little climb into Mentmore to finish.