As is usual for a Tuesday, we meet at Pitstone Roundabout to depart at 6:30pm.
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Velos Rides for Sunday 29th June 2014
Rides
Sticking with our ‘three ride Sunday’ formula, our early adventure this week takes us past Cranfield Airport.
As always, we meet at the Rose & Crown 10 minutes before the start time and please bring a copy of your chosen route in either digital (Garmin) or analogue (Paper) formats.
Dave Bembridge
Hot on the heels of the amazing Martin Sisley who raised over £3,000 for the Air Ambulance Service last week, Dave Bembridge is planning to ride from John O’Groats to Lands End starting on the 12th July. The knowledgeable ones amongst you will have spotted that, unlike Martin who rode ‘up’ the country to John O’Groats, Dave’s journey is essentially down hill all the way. To make up for this, Dave is adding a few miles just to make it that much tougher for him. In fact, his route includes 1,500 miles of cycling. No mean feat and all to raise money for a fantastic cause, Cancer Research.
Dave does a lot for our club – and cycling in general, so please do sponsor him if you can. He is also inviting his fellow velos to join him on the various legs – if you are interested then please have a chat with him.
The Herts Cycle Challenge
Also undertaking a challenge is Angela Hollands, who is riding the Herts Cycle Challenge on Sunday 6th July. She would love some company if anyone fancies giving this one a go. Starting in St Albans, there are two circular routes to choose from – 25 miles or 50 miles. All the details, routes and the registration info can be found here on the Rennie Grove Hospice website.
Tuesday Evening Rides
Now that England have confirmed their flight home from Brazil, going out cycling this Tuesday seems like a really good idea. We have something a bit different planned for those who fancy trying something new. Richard (from the Bossard Wheelers) has suggested we try developing our group riding with a couple of laps of the of the Mentmore TT circuit. It will give us an opportunity to work on our chain gang skills and might result in some interesting average speeds.
If you would like a more usual Tuesday evening ride, we have a flat 25 miler that includes some of the TT route so you can wave hello as you speed past them.
Both of these groups will be gathering at Pitstone roundabout with a view to depart at 6:30pm.
Velos Rides for Sunday 22nd June 2014
The forecast is fantastic as are the routes we have on offer for this Sunday. Once again, our Routemaster General, Dave “The Hill” Howe has put them together. We are a little concerned that he is mellowing recently as these are positively flat. This probably is only a temporary thing though so please, grab them while you can.
First up is a great route on some new roads for us. It is 62 miles in length and really is just about a flat a route you can get for that distance (round here at least). We start at 9am for this one which Dave will be leading, and 10am for the other two – a 40 mile adventure (which links up with the longer ride towards the end) and a 30 miler. Now, if any of your are sitting there thinking, flipping heck, these are really long – just stop for a second and have a moment to consider what our own Martin Sisley is doing right now. Add the fact that the weather is great at the moment and you have the perfect recipe for getting out there on your bike.
Tuesday Evening Rides
In celebration of the Summer Solstice, we have a long ride for those who what to get some miles in –
Dave Howe’s Woburn Wonder – 42 miles
If you fancy a more reasonable ride, here is a sensible length route –
Leighton then Totternhoe – 24 miles
Both rides start from the Pitstone Roundabout at 6:30pm sharp.
Tuesday Evening Blast
A fairly flat Tuesday evening route for anyone looking to enjoy this great weather. We start from Pitstone Roundabout at 6:30pm.
Tuesday Evening Ride
We have a nice gentle ride from Dave “No hills today thank you” Howe for Tuesday evening. Many of you have been doing some big mileages and climbs over the weekend in some lovely sunshine so this will most definitely be a gentle recovery ride at a sensible pace. As usual for a Tuesday, we will be meeting at Pitstone Roundabout at 6:30pm.
We would like to send our best wishes for a speedy recovery to James Fairburn who had a nasty tumble on Sunday morning that put paid to his hopes to complete the Chiltern 100. While he has quite a few bumps and bruises, thankfully the only thing that was broken was his front wheel. We look forward to seeing him back out with us real soon.
Velos Rides for Sunday 25th May 2014
Sunday Rides
We have three on after this week. First up is the return of another early start favourite – a trip to Silverstone. We depart the Rose & Crown Ivinghoe at 8am so that we can cover the 65 miles in a reasonable time.
8am start to Silverstone (65 miles)
(For Garmin 500 & 510 users we have a .TCX file which may work better on your device).
Our 10am rides have been kindly submitted by Mr Dave “Tour de Britain” Bembridge.
10am start Long ride (29 miles)
10am start Shorter ride (18 miles)
Bank Holiday Monday
As we mentioned earlier in the week, Sarah & Liz have are organising a ride for the Bank Holiday. They will be leaving Pitstone Roundabout at 10am, heading over to the Old Fisherman in Shabbington, stopping for lunch plus some re-hydration and then heading back home. All of the Velos are invited so you fancy joining them, please use the contact us page to send us a message ASAP – Sarah would like to let the pub know our numbers in advance to ensure they make room for us.
Next Sunday
There are a couple of organised rides that a good number of the Velos will be tackling next Sunday.
The sadists amongst us will be having a go at the Chiltern 100. 110 miles, 21 hills and almost 2700m (thats 8,500 feet in old money) of climbing. There is still time to enter if you fancy suffering in the company of your fellow Velo.
Those who fancy a completely different type of challenge whilst raising some money for charity should join Messieurs Bembridge and Hollands on their Basin to Bar ride. This year’s event will be fund raising for Cancer Research. If you’d like all the information about the ride, or better still to sign up, or simply to make a donation then you can do so by following this link to the Virgin Money giving page. If you’re intending to ride please leave a comment with your donation to this effect. If you’d prefer to donate and register in person at the Rose and Crown then please do so.
We also have a map of the route.
Tuesday Evening ride plus news about an additional ride this Bank Holiday Monday
Tuesday 20th May
Dave “Ride to the Hills” Howe has put forward a great route for Tuesday evening. We meet at Pitstone Roundabout leaving at 6:30pm. Lights are recommended just in case.
Monday 26th May (Bank Holiday)
Sarah Wilson and Liz Carpenter have put together a plan for an extra ride on this Bank Holiday. They will be leaving Pitstone Roundabout at 10am, heading over to the Old Fisherman in Shabbington, stopping for lunch plus some re-hydration and then heading back home. All of the Velos are invited so you fancy joining them, please use the contact us page to send us a message ASAP – Sarah would like to let the pub know our numbers in advance to ensure they make room for us.
We will be putting out the usual Saturday and Sunday rides later on in the week.
Velos Rides for Sunday 18th May 2014
Phew, what a scorcher !
The forecast is fantastic for this Sunday so we have a bonus early morning ride planed. It starts at 8am and is one we have ridden before – “The Benson Finger” routed by Mr Andy “#Mountain” Beezer. You can expect a bevy of tough climbs in the first half and a fast flat route home. Hydration will be important so we plan to stop at a corner shop at the halfway mark for refuelling. If you are going on our Alps trip, or riding the Chiltern 100 then this will be an ideal training ride.
8am Start – The Benson Finger (71 miles)
10am Start – Flat Short Route (22 miles)
10am Start – Mid-Sized Route (34 miles)
Basin to Bar Cycle Ride – 1st June
This year’s event will be taking place on Sunday 1st June 2014. Dave Bembridge and Graham Hollands have been busy behind the scenes planning this years event. Our fund raising will be for Cancer Research. If you’d like all the information about the ride, or better still to sign up, or simply to make a donation then you can do so by following this link to the Virgin Money giving page. If you’re intending to ride please leave a comment with your donation to this effect. If you’d prefer to donate and register in person at the Rose and Crown then please do so.
We also have a map of the route.