Hey February! There is only one thing more annoying that how long January is and that’s jokes about how long January is. We are now moving into the possibility of ride titles like “feels like spring has arrived”, “4 seasons in one ride” and “banishing the winner blues”. The evenings will start getting lighter and within a couple of months we will be riding without lights in the early evenings! Once into warmer months we will extend the longer Sunday ride and once a month include a coffee stop at the mid-point. We will also plan some “away days” where we drive for an hour or so to start our ride enabling us to experience some different roads. We’ve avoided any snowy rides so far this winter but there is still time for a mountain bike trip down the skate rink at Watery Lane, fortunatley this Sunday is looking dry and mild.

Three ride options for everyone to enjoy this week, thanks to Dave B for providing the 23 mile and 30 mile routes. While we no longer call the 10.30 ride specifically new joiners and returners we still ride with the moto that no one gets left behind, so please support your fellow riders on your choosen route. The power of the peleton is greater than the individual (the breakaway does sometimes succeed but then no one talks to the yellow jersey in the pub)

All rides start at the road junction by Ivinghoe church and return to give riders the chance of a pint and debrief at the Rose and Crown pub. Please arrive before the advertised start time, with a good idea of the route you are completing, we may split into pace groups to avoid being too big a group if rider numbers are large.

10am longer option https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45478899

10am medium option https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45478396

10.30am shorter option https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45365879

Three routes this week with the 10.30 “beginners and rejoiners” route taking on a few small climbs in the planned 24 mile route giving around 1,100 feet of climbing, my mission was to craft two routes for 10am riders which included LESS climbing than the later shorter route (after all we have done a few hills recently). So at 10am we have a choice of 40 miles with 1,070 feet of climbing or 30 miles with 870 feet of climbing. These rides contain a no hills and no puncture guarentee**

10am 40 miles: flat out 40 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45424123

10am 30 miles: flat lands 30 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45424201

10.30 Beginners And Returners 24 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45415357

We are not a cycle club, there is no membership fees, riders can come along as often or as little as they like. We are a large group of friends enthusiastic about riding bikes with a good knowlege of local routes and the mechanical working of our bikes. We have various distance and pace options to suit most casual riders. While our quickest rides can go along at a reasonable pace, If you are training for the Olympics we are probably not the group for you! Our top speed average rarely exceeds 16mph while our lower mileage rides are often around 14mph, depending on how much climbing is involved! Riding in a group saves a good 20% of your usual solo effort so join the group for some easier miles!

Rides Start and finish in Ivinghoe, at the junction by the church, our general aim is to leave no one behind unless they are dead set on wanting to continue solo (we often hear riders say they are happy to continue on their own but we know it’s always easier in a group so we moderate the pace to get everybody back, or split into pace groups)

While we meet and complete suggested routes each week, we can make no guarentees about traffic safety and road conditions, anyone joining us must be responsible for their own safety, ensure their equipment is in good order and ride with due caution. We occasional need to divert from the planned course due to road closures but try not to increase our distances too much.

During January we offer 10.30am routes dedicated to new joiners and returners which are riden at an even more relaxed pace to suit those wanting to give it a try, we will also look at offering more of the same in the early spring.

** based on rides taking place in the middle of summer on a dry sunny day on brand new bikes with high puncture protection tires, following a road sweeper.

Three rides this week, with a slightly longer option on the 10am routes. At 10.30 the beginners & rejoiners ride gets serious with a couple of small climbs on the route!

All rides start and finish in ivinghoe by the church and we may split into different paced groups if there are a large number of riders

The forecast for Sunday is warmer than of late and also dry, the wind is coming from the South, so the 10am routes will be using some hills as shelter and benefitting for some assistance on the way home, when it’s windy riding together is even more important, so stick close together to benefit from a rest from any headwinds!

10am medium chiltern Challenger 34 miles: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45370355

10am medium short Chiltern Little Challenger 30 miles: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45370431

10.30am short, beginners and returners: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45365256

Rides conclude conveniently close to the Rose and Crown for some post ride rehydration and calorie replacement.

This week the prospect is some dry cool conditions, so no better time to get out and kick start that healthy lifestyle, not only physically by completing some exercise but also mentally by engaging in converstion with some of the finest brains in the LU7 9 post code. Or so we like to think.

Two rides starting at 10am this week. Take you pick and enjoy a group outing with the velos. The more the merrier, we have been riding for over a decade, so have a good knowledge of the best local routes and some expertise in mending minor mechanicals.

The first is a 16 mile beginners and returners route which stays pretty flat and should ensure you are banging on the door of the pub before 12 oclock. With 400 feet of climbing over 16 miles this is pretty much as flat as possible, completing two local loops with Slapton as the mid point. This ride will have a leader and will be moderated to ensure everyone gets the group ride experience. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45324812

The second is a 34 mile ride with a couple of hills in the middle with 1,400 feet of climbing the hills are out of the way by the half way point and then it’s a nice tight group return which will be slightly wind assisted! Last week riders decided to ride the medium route together, so depending on numbers there could be one or two pace options for this ride. Last Sunday’s rather hilly ride medium ride with some tricky lanes was ridden at an average speed of 13.5 to 14.5mph, this weeks could be slightly quicker as there is less climbing and plenty of flat sections on reasonable roads. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45327650

The extra bit you can read if you are really bored

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. It’s great that 14 years on we still get over 20 riders show up for winter rides (last Sunday). Route planners and post publishers by no means guarentee 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.

At the time of writing the forecast for Sunday’s rides is dry with light winds and above freezing. While the guys at Velos Towers try to plan rides based on the weather conditions, we can’t make a decision on your own safety, so please keep an eye on the conditions and only come out if the conditions are safe for you. If the weather takes a turn for the worse we will flick the MTB switch and move to the fat tyre alternative via our social media channels.

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 pusing 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.

During January we have a new starters and re-starters ride option for anyone wanting to try riding road bikes in a group, maybe you usually ride solo and would like to try something different, or maybe you’ve got a bike gathering dust that you really should be putting to use!

We organise the longer rides into pace groups if numbers are large, splitting groups at the start of the ride (or riding together at a moderate pace if only a few riders are out). Steady is a pace that ensures no one gets left behind, medium is generally around 14-16mph and pacey is over 16mph. It’s not fun being miles behind everyone else so we try to moderate the group pace to stay together but if you are riding at 12 miles per hour in the pacey group we might come to an agreement that the group will push on without you. Equally if you are riding off the front of the steady group at 17 miles per hour, you probably should re-think your group choice!

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!

Hello 2024! We had a pretty good turn out on the last ride of 2023 so well done to the riders who saw the year out with a decent ride and dare I say it an early new year beer or two!

Hopefully folk are fit and well and ready to roll in 2024, if you are looking to enjoy group rides, kick start a healthy lifestyle change, maintain last year’s fitness gains or catch up with friends new and old then Ivinghoe Velos rides are the place to be! New joiners and returners are always welcome and particularly at the start of the year when riding alone can be tough. We ride road bikes, chunky tires are welcome but they do make it hard to keep up!

We are not a cycle club, there is no membership fees, riders can come along as often or as little as they like. We are a large group of friends enthusiastic about riding bikes with a good knowlege of local routes and the mechanical working of our bikes. We have various distance and pace options to suit most casual riders. While our quickest rides can go along at a reasonable pace, If you are training for the Olympics we are probably not the group for you! Our top speed average rarely exceeds 16mph while our lower mileage rides are often around 14mph, depending on how much climbing is involved! Riding in a group saves a good 20% of your usual solo effort so join the group for some easier miles!

Rides Start and finish in Ivinghoe, at the junction by the church, our general aim is to leave no one behind unless they are dead set on wanting to continue solo (we often hear riders say they are happy to continue on their own but we know it’s always easier in a group so we moderate the pace to get everybody back, or split into pace groups)

While we meet and complete suggested routes each week, we can make no guarentees about traffic safety and road conditions, anyone joining us must be responsible for their own safety, ensure their equipment is in good order and ride with due caution.

This weeks longer rides both start at 10am and head to Chipperfield, there is a shorter and longer option 31 miles or 38 miles (with a bit more climbing). If you are confident of riding 30 miles solo at 14mph or more these rides are suitable for you!

At 10.30 we have a new year ride to encourage returners and new joiners, riden at a pace to get everyone round comfortably and with Dave Bembridge as ride leader, you can join this group if you’d like to test riding with others in a small group. The route is 13.5 miles and avoids any serious hills so the group can keep turning the pedals, come along if you fancy giving us a gentle try out.

10am 38 miles Chipperfield chase Extended https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45286300

10am 31 miles Chipperfield Chase https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45286236

10.30 13.5 miles new starters and returners: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45284748

We often regroup after rides at the Rose and Crown in Ivinghoe where isotonic beverages and health boosting cheesy chips are usually available to purchase, the perfect end to time out on a Sunday morning!