Captain Ridely’s Shooting Party was the cover story used for Bletchley Park’s early codebreakers in 1938. The site was choosen close to a railway station serving the Varsity line between Oxford and Cambridge. Locals were told a shooting party had arrived at Bletchley mansion, the inital 150 staff swelled to over 9,000 by 1945 as the Ultra intelligence factory contributed to the success of victory in Europe and shortened the second world war by between 2 and 4 years. As we have this historic landmark within range, this week’s longer ride heads towards the home of Collossus, Alan Turing, Enigma machines and a league two football team that used to play in South London. The route travels within 200 meters of the Bletchley Park enterance on Sherwood drive, a detour for a photo might be in order!

The shorter rides also head in a similar direction but loop back from Cublington.

Please have the route you intend to ride plumbed into your headset computer, arrive before the ride start time and look after those you are riding with. Rides start from Ivinghoe chruch and finish close to the rose and crown where you will be able to code break some local ales.

10am 38 miles Captian Ridley’s Riding party https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45715283

10am 26 miles Cublinton-Weedon Loop & return https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43518405

10.30am 21 miles Cublington-Wing circular ride https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45710779

We ride on Sunday starting from Ivinghoe church at 10am or 10.30am. Routes have been carefully selected to feature some of the best of our local cycling. You can’t beat riding in a group, so dust off your lycra and join us for fun on two wheels.

10am longer option. Riding up towards Quainton we cut through Oving and then back via Dunton, rolling rather than hilly 36 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45644388

10am medium option a fairly flat loop heading towards Leighton Buzzard, 27.5 miles with a couple of minor bumps https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45652393

10.30 shorter option a 17 mile loop heading through Tring, with no noticable climbing https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45080828

We are not a cycle club, there is no membership fees, riders can come along as often or as little as they like but do remember if no one rides the enthusiasm for the group will wane and riders will look elsewhere for group options. 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.

Roll on Sunday

Anyone around on Saturdays for some gentle riding with tea and cake as incentive….. “the tea ride” leaves the Rose and Crown at 10am on Saturday morning.

Sending this one out on St Valentines day. A favourite time of year for lovers, flower sellers and the card factory. If you are able to tear yourself away from reading your cards on Sunday we have some love themed rides for you!

Cycling has always had a close relationship with romance, many love stories have roots in cycling culture and I’m not just talking about you and your favourite bike, the most obvious one is the tragic love story of young Romeo the road cyclist falling for Juliet the mountain biker, they came from different sides of the track and family and friends couldn’t understand the attraction, sworn enemies the two young cyclists couldn’t help fall in love but it didn’t end well, Romeo became the record holder on at the local bike park so Juliet left him out of jealousy.

Lovers Marie and Pierre Curie were the first married couple to win the nobel prize, What you may not realise is that they were both keen cyclists, sharing the passion of riding together as an escape from work in the lab, embarking on cycling adventures across Europe, often saying cycling provided a surge in brain power. If Marie hadn’t spent all her time inventing radiation therapy she probably would have invented disc brakes or clipless pedals.

Cleopatra and Marc Anthony started up all 11 year romance when cleopara found out the Roman General had a passion for cycling, dressed in gold embroidered lycra the queen of Eygpt was led into Tarsus by a Peloton of youths dressed as Eros, with Domestiques spraying purfume towards the gaping crowds lining the route. The sight of Cleopatra’s gold plated Specialized S Works Aethos was too much for Marc to resisit and they become the most glamourous couple on the weekly coffee ride.

So where should the 10am longer ride go to this Sunday? Love Lane of course! We head to Chipperfield to pick up Love Lane on a route of 39 miles of loveliness. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45569130

Thanks to Dave B (or Mr Romance as he likes to be known) for the medium and short routes this week!

10am Longdown Lover Loop 28 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45593136

10.30 It’s the Halton Heartbreaker 24 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45593165

Please remember we are a group of friends not a cycle club so while we stive to publish fact checked postings and reliable routes occassionally there may be the odd inacuracy. Your patience and understading is appeciated.

10am 34 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45533296

10am 29 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45533872

10.30 23 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45533902

Three routes to choose from this week and to celebrate Ivinghoe Velos being your number one cycling connection there are some (not so well) hidden number one 80s song titles in this weeks post. How many can you spot? Rides start from Ivinghoe Church, Papa don’t preach!

Getting out and riding with fellow like minded cyclists is great for heart and mind, you can have a little sprint where the winner takes it all, or be a super trouper and pull the rest of the group along riding at the front. Now is a good time to start, we’re not going underground we will carry on encouraging riders to ring my bell and stand and deliver. Possible showers on Sunday, the tide is high, so the routes are not too long, then it’s back to the house of fun, the Rose and Crown for a pint, or some red red wine and a chat- happy talk I expect. There are a few slopes, every breath you take will get you closer to the top, he aint heavy he’s my brother, so we regroup at the top. Then don’t be too shy, take a turn on the front and relax on the down hills, the freedom of the open road means you might say hello to a strava record, then we’ll all be dancing in the streets!

At 10am we have two tribes, one taking on a 34 mile route the other a 29 mile route. At 10.30 riders can use the power of love in a 23 mile circuit. All routes are circular, you spin me round (like a record)! The pace will be respectable. It’s a sin to leave anyone behind, no riders should be saying I think we’re alone now, so move closer and stick together, form a chain reaction (or a caravan of love). Make sure you know the route, we don’t want anyone taking a different corner, shouting “I should have known better” as they go. If you get into the groove and ride as a team we will soon be back in the land of make believe, going through the green door into this ole house, the pub.

Any mechanicals, just call out “don’t leave me this way” and we will stop, especially for you. It’s just one moment in time, those who don’t have a puncture might mutter I should be so lucky. Then once fixed, pump up the volume of your tires so they are under pressure, don’t turn around, carry on along the route, the only way is up! Stick in a group, cycling is easier with a little help from my friends.

Please arrive before the stated start time, we ride on time. Shout out pot holes for other riders, not just a careless whisper. We don’t want your bike thinking do you really want to hurt me! The reflex is strong but plenty of warning helps. I know you are probably thinking Shaddap your face, I owe you nothing, but the Ivinghoe Velos is built on a groovy kind of love and somethings gotten hold of my heart and it’s not a tainted love. Riding is always on my mind. All around the world (or at least Buckinghamshire) we ride like it’s the first time, enjoying the thrill of a little peace on roads like in a ghost town rather than a town called malice, thanking the spirit in the sky when it feels like the edge of heaven.

So on to the end of ride sprint, it’s the final countdown, you win again? well every loser wins on a Velos ride, jack your body, swing the mood, come on Eileen, like a prayer you might be perfect or end up crying (seven tears?) just enjoy the ride. That’s what I like. see you on Sunday- when the going gets tough the tough get going!

That’s 70 song titles by the way!