Three routes for your deliberation this Sunday, starting at 10am or 10.30am. Remember if you forget to put your clocks forward at 1am on Sunday you run the risk of missing the group rides which leave Ivinghoe church on British summer time.

Once again this week we have a 10.30 route suitable for beginners and rejoiners, so if you are new, returning or just a bit unfit this is the ride for you! We leave no one behind.

Naismith’s rule (1 h / 3 mi + 1 h / 2000 ft) helps with the planning of a walking or hiking expeditions by calculating how long it will take to travel the intended route, including any extra time taken when walking uphill. This rule of thumb was devised by Willian M Naismith, a Scottish mountaineer 1892. We all know when route planning on the flat it’s easy to work out how long a journey will take but add in hills and the time taken on any distance can vary.

Over the years several adjustments and recalculations have been made and Tranters corrections added a level of fitness to the equation. When walking, going downhill can also take longer than walking on the flat, luckily this is an area when cyclists can gain a bit of time back!

In Howe’s rule I’ve added five rider characteristics to a cycling equation to help work out where individuals fit on the scale, working hard to ensure riders arrive at the Rose and Crown at a similar time!!! The five charateristics are as follows; 1) Goat- loves a mountain and handles any slopes up or down well, 2) Feather- doesn’t weigh very much but lacks power, tends to float around on the wind not going up or down at any pace, 3)Rock- heavy, quite an effort pushing up, but once crested get out the way! 4)all rounder- keeps a reasonable pace on all but the steepest of slopes 5)sofa rider- stays home and rotates through poor weather, less important hobbies and other commitments as excuses, when they do go out they get left behind by the goats, feather, rocks and all-rounders.

This is how the equation unfolds: 30 miles with 1,500 feet of climbing: goats-16mph 1hr 52 minutes; feathers- 14.5 mph 2hrs 4 minutes: rocks- 14mph 2hrs 8 minutes; allrounders-15mph 2 hrs: sofa riders- toast, coffee and the Sunday papers.

At Velos Towers we know the whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts (not every cycle group has Aristotle quotes in it’s weekly posts) So we welcome goats, feather, rocks, allrounders and even sofa riders looking to get back on two wheels, so come along and enjoy the ride.

10.30 beginners/returners https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45415357

10am medium ride https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45990528

10am longer ride https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45990496

Routes have been wind checked and characteristics applied, so back for a beer and cheesy chips in good time.

Three routes to choose from on Sunday all three heading in the same direction. We have a new starters/rejoiners/steady group at 10.30 suitable for anyone to join and feel supported in a group outing and then two options at 10am. The 10am routes cover the same distance however one has Pitstone Hill, Toms Hill, Darrs Lane and Mount Dunsmore on the route and the other one doesn’t but still has a reasonable level of elevation over the ride! So rider can choose to add 450 extra feet of climbing and finish on the same last 10 miles.

10.30 short https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45365256

10am feeling a bit flatter https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45921243

10am The hills are alive https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45921182

Rides start on time at Ivinghoe church entance and return to the village sometime after pub opening time!

Some early ride fun this week for both 10am routes which share a common start, we will have our annual downhill challenge, no pedaling after the top corner off the B489 onto Chapel Lane & the winner is the rider who comes to a halt furthest past the Village Swan pub in Ivinghoe Aston.

10.45 new joiners and restarters steady pace https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45324812

10am medium route benchmark pace over 13-15mph https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45835683

10am longer route, benchmark pace over 14-16mph https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45835452

Ivinghoe Velos rides take place on Sunday mornings and start from outside the church in Ivinghoe, we are a welcoming and friendly group of friends, most of us are the other side of 50 but with great age comes great wisdom, we have a bank of well researched routes and a reasonable kowledge of the workings of a bicycle. New riders young and old are welcome, although we may not be able to keep up with you! With this in mind Dave Bembridge has crafted a set of “new starters and rejoiner” rides starting this Sunday, these rides will be easy routes ridden as a pace to suit every riders. Local legend has it that Dave carries a rubber ring with him, this isn’t for a more comfy seat in the pub after a long day in the saddle, it’s to help rescue riders stuck in puddles along the route.

During the winter months our rides start from 10am. During warmer summer months we extend the distances slightly and start a longer option at 9am, this is usually around mid April to October and during these longer riders we pop in the occasional coffee stop.

Rides conclude back in Ivinghoe close to the Rose And Crown pub, which welcomes riders with a range of isotonic beverages and carb replacing snacks for some post ride chat.

We also arrange ad-hoc weekday coffee rides and evening pre-beer rides which we arrange via social media so we can be agile with timings.

In May each year we have a change of scenery, planning a series of rides over a weekend in another location, we’ve previously visited The Peak District, Suffolk, Tewekesbury and Yorkshire, this year we head to Wells in Somerset and do 4 days of rides with plenty of time around the rides to enjoy the location (plus more isotonic beverages and carb replacing snacks).

We have also arranged trips to sunny destinations with real mountains, taken part in sportives, ridden the odd mountain bike ride, travelled back on the Grand Union from London and completed charity rides, so there is something for everybody

Our aim is to leave no one behind, so riders should look after and wait for riders behind as well as keep up with riders in front, a little communication helps keep the group together and having a good knowledge of the route means you can be confident when the route makes turns. We try to ride close together to benefit from the draft (reducing wind resistance for the riders behind) on the flat and gentle up hills and will regroup after more severe climbs as everyone has their own pace to get up these!

Three rides this week with a longer and medium 10am options plus the new joiners and returns route at 10.45am (if you already regularly use your bike you are welcome to join the longer options!)

Riders are responsible for their own safety and mechanical reliability, we help with changing tubes after a puncture, but if your pedal falls off it’s a long walk home!

Roll on Sunday

This Sunday is mothers day, so those lucky enough to be able to spend time with their mum may not be riding with us, we still have three routes available to enjoy for everyone else and if you do get out and ride quickly enough, you might make it back for apple pie at lunch time!

10.30 short: Mamma Mia, here we go again https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45115258

10.00 medium: Some mothers do ave em https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45777687

10.00 long: Mum’s the word: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45786463

Rides Start at by the church in Ivinghoe and return to the village, please arrive before the ride start time with a good idea of your choosen route. We aim to leave no one behind so look after the riders behind you as well as keeping up with the riders in front of you!