The usual three main group rides to choose from this weekend. As always rides start at Ivinghoe church and we will have a facebook poll to allow people to indicate when they are riding.

The 9am route gives riders a chance to complete 100km while celebrating the birthday of Thomas Fredrick Bidlake. Mr Bidlake was born on 13th March 1867 and was a racing cyclcist on bikes and trikes. At a time when bikes were even less popular on the roads than now (due to scaring horses) group racing on roads was banned. Bidlake invented a race to avoid this ban by setting riders off 2 minute intervals in reverse handicap order- the time trial had been invented! A memorial prize honouring contributions to cycling was set up after Bidlake passed away following a cycing accident, winners include Beryl Burton, Tom Simpson and Chris Boardman. As Bidlake raced on the Great North Road our destination on Sunday is his memorial at Sandy. It’s an out and back route rather than our usual circular fare. it’s not too hilly with 2,500 feet of climb and we will stop for a short break at the memorial so bring a biscuit!

9am Bidlake 2022: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38528018

We have a 10am and 10.30am options for shorter rides and also we’d like to point riders to the Berkhamsted CC reliability ride leaving Musette Cafe at 9am (£16 in advance, £20 on the day). Good luck to any Velos joining this reliability ride. Thanks as always to Dave Bembridge for coming up with the 10am and 10.30 routes!

The 10am route of 33 miles takes riders up to Heath and Reach and then Brickhill, up to Soulbury, through to wing, up to Wingrave and then a fast decent into Long Marston. It’s a little over 50km of lovely rolling country roads https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38734739

The 10.30 route of 21 miles climbs up to the back of Shootersway before doubling back towards Wiggington, taking in a loop at Hastoe and then a fast decent of hemp lane and through Aldbury, all good fun https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38734765

The usual bit

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.

Three routes this week, all starting from Ivinghoe Church. Great to see lots of riders out last week enjoying an improvement in the weather, the 10am route split into several pace groups which got riders round in good time. Please add your expected ride choice to the facebook poll on the rear hub so riders have an idea who is out and about. Arrive before the ride start time and get yourself into your realistic pace group and work together to get the group round.

9am 46 miles: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38628865

10am 28 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38683618

10.30am 23 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38683643

Calendar dates:

In the coming weeks we have some events for riders to consider, Sunday 13th March we have an option to take part in the Berkhamsted Sportive from Musette (fee to join). Our usual 9am ride is a 100km ride https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38528018 to celebrate the birthday of the inventor of the time trial, Thomas Bidlake out and back to Sandy.

In April there will be some riders looking to take on the Hemel Hillbuster, a local sportive (fee to join) including some of the biggest climbs in our area.

From 20th to 23rd May we have a weekend trip planned including some great rides from Teweksbury. Riders should book their own accomodation and join rides on Saturday, Sunday and a Monday recovery ride. Full details are on the events tab on our facebook rear hub page, with a variety of ride options and a relaed pace to enjoy the sights. Also that weekend, for those staying at home on 22nd May there is a local sportive from Chartridge (fee to join) which riders may be familar with, 60km suitable for newer riders and 100km for riders looking for a big challenge.

We also have our canal ride out of London to look forward to on 8th May!

When taking Part in organised events try to wear our team kit.

Once into April, as day light hours extend we will look at reinstating our Tuesday evening rides. Fast and furious with a beer at the pub as a reward!

And with a blink of the eye we are finishing the second month of 2022. Most cyclists will say good riddence to February after some pretty poor riding conditions (but no frost!) The final Sunday of the month looks pretty reasonable, so we expect to see you fair weather lightweights along side the “arn as nails” pros who have made it out on the last couple of Sundays! Even Mick at the pub was surpised to see a good sized group of riders dripping on the pub floor last week.

46, 31 and 22 mile routes to choose from. Adding your expected ride choice onto the facebook rear hub poll might encourage others to join our happy gang. The 9am route is usually ridden between 15mph and 18mph depending of conditions, the 10am ride can be split into different pace groups depending on numbers, somewhere between 13mph and 17mph and the 10.30 ride is usually at a relaxed pace, welcoming less expeienced riders, riders returning from injury, or riders returning from a big night out.

9am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38628865

10am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38629382

10.30am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38522223

The Usual bit……

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. We will sometime advertise beginners or social rides (In JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2022 we will have a ride leader to help new riders join onto the 10.30am ride) which will moderate the pace to the slowest rider. Over time newer riders will build their pace and endurance, we have all started or re-started, so understand it takes some time to get faster.

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.

Last week I promised despite the forecast that we would have a dry ride, if it wasn’t for 2 chain breaks and two punctures this would have been true! It’s all part of the cycling rich tapestry of life! This week my promise is Sunday will be less windy than Friday.

Three route options to tackle, the 9am and 10.30am routes might look familiar. Recycling is an important part of modern life! Dave Bembridge will lead the 10.30 ride to support any new joiners wanting to give cycling a go.

9am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38528060

10am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38577553

10.30am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38522223

Our diary is filling up nicely in the coming months. We have a trip along the grand union to look forward to on 8th May, a cycling weekend in Tewkesbury on 20th May and a later Sunday ride to a rare open afternoon at Wheatley Windmill on 12th June. On 13th March we have a 9am 100km route planned to Sandy and the memorial of TT inventor Fred Bidlake (on his birthday) or for those wanting to test their cycling mettle there is a sportive heading off from Musette cafe organised by Berkhamsted cycle club (£16 in advance £20 on the day). Later in the summer we will plan a couple of new forest lesiure rides over a weekend.

If anyone else has something different up their sleeve, then please share!

The Usual bit……

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. We will sometime advertise beginners or social rides (In JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2022 we will have a ride leader to help new riders join onto the 10.30am ride) which will moderate the pace to the slowest rider. Over time newer riders will build their pace and endurance, we have all started or re-started, so understand it takes some time to get faster.

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.

Three options for our riders to tackle this week. Showers forecast, so I expect it will be dry. For those looking to up their milage the 9am route is 48 miles without any major hills to survey the changing landscape around the east-west railway. The 10am is a loop of Kinsbourne Green and Redbourn. The 10.30 route is a loop to Halton. All three rides can be split into pace groups depending on numbers and we aim to look after all riders particularly on the 10.30 ride where Richard will be on hand to guide any newcomers.

9am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38528060

10am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38521905

10.30am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38522223

The usual bit

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. We will sometime advertise beginners or social rides (In JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2022 we will have a ride leader to help new riders join onto the 10.30am ride) which will moderate the pace to the slowest rider. Over time newer riders will build their pace and endurance, we have all started or re-started, so understand it takes some time to get faster.

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.

In previous years we have enjoyed weekends riding in different parts of the country. This May 20th to 23rd, I’ve planned some road routes from Tewkesbury. Saturday= West Cotswolds. Sunday= Malvern Hills. Monday= flat to Worcester.

Come along for 1,2, or 3 days, or arrive early and ride a bit on Friday too.
Saturday 60 miles or 40 miles into the Cotswolds with a coffee stop at about two thirds round the route.
Sunday 60 miles or 38 miles around the Malvern Hills with a stop two thirds round.
Monday recovery, 40 miles ride to Worcester.

Rides start from the high street in Tewkesbury. We will ride at “tourist pace” making the most of riding in a new area, we have all day to get round with light evenings if required!

Bonus Friday afternoon MTB outing in the malvern hills if anyone can get two bikes there!

Book your own accomodation, we ride at 11am on Saturday to give people a chance to arrive in the morning and 10am on Sunday.

Teweksbury is around 2 hours drive from Ivinghoe and has extensive accomodation including a Weatherspoons Hotel, Premier Inn, Traveloge and numberous hotels and B&Bs. We have the chance to meet up for a chat and some refreshments in the evenings.

The Cotwolds ride contains some iconic climbs featured in the UK 100 greatest climbs as well as pretty villages, the Malvern ride takes us through Ledbury up to the Malvern AONB. Monday is flat

So get yourself booked in to a Tewkesbury establishment, chuck the bike in the car and enjoy some amazing cycling countryside.

Saturday option 1 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38480230

Saturday option 2 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38496219

Sunday option 1 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38475251

Sunday option 2 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38496154

Monday flat recovery https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38496099

Bonus Friday afternoon MTB https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38496228

Long route coffee stop: Cotswolds: the Old Post Office Guiting Power

Long route coffee stop Malvern: Abbey Road Coffee

Monday route coffee stop: Cafe Viaduct.

You can sign up and chat about the trip on our rear hub facebook page.

Three routes options this week. A 9am route to Wheathamsted 48 miles on country lanes, watch out for the crossing point on the A5183 after Flamstead. The 10am route is a 37 mile trip via the mighty Kop Hill. The 10.30 route takes us over to Wingrave and has Brian as ride lead to support any new riders.

9am Wheathamsted https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38481183

10am Kop Hill https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38480434

10.30am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38480476

**save the date** occasionally we like to visit another part of the country to experience some new roads and see some new sights. If you are keen to have a night away and do a couple of road rides on Saturday and Sunday keep May 21st & 22nd free!

The usual bit

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. We will sometime advertise beginners or social rides (In JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2022 we will have a ride leader to help new riders join onto the 10.30am ride) which will moderate the pace to the slowest rider. Over time newer riders will build their pace and endurance, we have all started or re-started, so understand it takes some time to get faster.

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.

Some great activities last Sunday, really good to see so many people enjoying our rides, we may not be the fittest group (I’m currently checking “weak bridge” signs carefully while riding) but we do know how to have a good time on two wheels.

We often talk about joining the right group when riding together. To give you an idea of pace last Sunday for example the 9am ride had a hill rating of 41 feet of climbing per mile and was ridden at 17mph, while the 10am route had 56 feet of climbing per mile and was ridden on 14.3 miles per hour. Some of us rode the Hemel Hill Buster back in July which was 72 feet per mile and ridden at 15.5 miles per hour. While our very good friend Andy Beezer rides in the Peak district and hardly ever drops below 100 feet per mile! Some riders are stronger on the flat, while other like to climb, my personal attributes lean towards steep downhill riding!

The usual three options for you this week, the weather looks similar to the last couple of weeks, lets hope “dry January” remains dry for Sunday.

9am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38114750 A late Christmas present with this outing to Christmas Common, only one hill, but it’s a good one! Hill rating is 35 feet per mile. This is a great chance for riders looking at add a bit more distance in their ride, we stay together for the vast majority of this route and allow the climbers a brief getaway opportunity on Aston Hill (A40) before regrouping at the top!

10am: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38426801 33 miles over to Chesham. Up and later down Aston Hill (Wendover) and the climb up Ashridge road from Chesham. Hill rating is 49 feet per mile.

10.30am: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38426840 18 miles, with a beginners group led by Brian Scarth with a hill rating of 36 feet per mile of climbing. Delightful villages include Long Marston, Drayton Beauchamp and Aldbury.

The usual bit

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. We will sometime advertise beginners or social rides (In JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2022 we will have a ride leader to help new riders join onto the 10.30am ride) which will moderate the pace to the slowest rider. Over time newer riders will build their pace and endurance, we have all started or re-started, so understand it takes some time to get faster.

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.

After another bumper turn out last Sunday we have three glorious routes to share with you this week, so you should avoid stumbling in on a party, (or maybe not a party) on Saturday night and bring your best fitness along on Sunday morning. We will also look ahead to some events later in the year.

Chalfont St Peter is our destination for the 9am ride. At 10am we circumnavigate Berkhamsted and at 10.30 Ian Taylor will lead a ride for beginners, returners and those who may have, accidentally attended a Saturday night Party.

Sunday 9am Chiltern Chalfonts https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38392957

Sunday 10am Around Berkhamsted https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38386055

Sunday 10.30 & Beginners Route https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38386076

On 8th May for something different there will be a canal ride option, getting the train into London and returning allow the tow path, with a coffee stop and a beer stop along the way

On 13th March there is an option to ride the Berkhamsted classic reliability ride from Musette, this will cost £16 and have a nice “event” feel to it. Details are on the British cycling website. We will run our usual routes along side this event for those who would rather not pay for riding on our usual roads.

During the summer months we will organised a couple of “drive and ride” routes which require an hour’s drive to enable us to ride somewhere different e.g The Cotswolds & Northamptonshire to Warwickshire. We will also share a set of weekend rides starting from a location in another part of the county, the option will be to book local accommodation of your choice and make a weekend of it, meeting each day for the rides.

Some riders are taking on longer distance challenges this year, so in the coming weeks we will split the long 9am route into two pace groups, so those building towards their challenge can get some good training miles in.

We will also organise a 100 mile ride for anyone looking to rack up a century ride this year. Our usual timings involves a two stop coffee and cake strategy.

The Usual bit……

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. We will sometime advertise beginners or social rides (In JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2022 we will have a ride leader to help new riders join onto the 10.30am ride) which will moderate the pace to the slowest rider. Over time newer riders will build their pace and endurance, we have all started or re-started, so understand it takes some time to get faster.

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.

Last Sunday we had a great turnout, which is lovely to see. The spirit of cycling together is alive and strong in 2022. Some new faces were very welcome, we even had our youngest ever “rider” who managed the 10.30 route in a bike drawn chariot!

The weather and road conditions last week were colder and more slippery than expected. our groups managed to get round without any major slips, taking it steady was certainly the best way forward. The forecast for this week is currently cloudy and 6 degrees at 9am, so hopefully frost free. If anything changes drastically please use our social media connections to rearrange times or styles of riding.

Once again we have three rides to choose from including a 10.30 beginners/joiners ride led by Dave Bembridge. All rides welcome new riders if you are confident to be able to do distance and expected pace (not too quick for us!). The 10.30 beginners ride will be ridden at the pace of the slowest rider. Rides are 9am: 48 miles past Harpenden and back via Dunstable, 10am: 30 miles Whitchurch whip, 10.30am: 21 miles steady pace.

9am route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38338548

10am route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38346297

10.30 route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38346311

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. We will sometime advertise beginners or social rides (In JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2022 we will have a ride leader to help new riders join onto the 10.30am ride) which will moderate the pace to the slowest rider. Over time newer riders will build their pace and endurance, we have all started or re-started, so understand it takes some time to get faster.

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.