In an effort to encourage some new riders to join the fun we have put out a couple of easy routes over the last two weekends. Sadly we didn’t have much interest So a new approach this week, I’ve found a translator that will turn the post into something the younger people of today will understand, maybe this would help recruit some new faces?

Yo, check it! Three sick rides this Sunday, fam. Perfect chance to hit those two wheels and vibe in the Hood. With Ivinghoe Velos, no one’s gonna be ghosting (as long as your route’s all set in your app). Next weekend, we’re bouncing to Ludlow for a crew trip, so this week, we’re crushing some local hills on the longer ride. Time to whip out your slay ride and roll with us!

Rolling with a crew saves energy ’cause you ain’t fighting the wind as much, so you usually zoom faster than riding lonesome. We’ve got three rides that totally fit your vibe, truly. Longer rides mean faster speeds, ya know? Work together, dream together, our best is your best, so jump in a group, have a blast, and maybe chill for some brews and cheesy nachos after!

Yo, all our vibes kick off at Ivinghoe church, and wrap up at the Rose and Crown, slay. Make sure to roll through before we dip, hit up the FB poll to let us know which ride you wanna crack. Yo might snag some Strava bling if you roll with us.

9am 53 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50631100

10am 30 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50629636

10.30am 21 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50629362

A variety of rides to delight local riders on Sunday 4th May, all starting from Ivinghoe church

At 10.45am we have a new starters and re-joiner ride specifically for those who haven’t ridden too much lately and want a short easy introduction back into cycling or those just starting out on their road bike journey. This ride has a leader who is experienced in riding and can held with advice and support for joiners, thank you to Richard for offering up his services this week after Dave B took a turn last Sunday.

Three other routes of various distances, generally the longer the ride the quicker the average pace (we aim to leave no one behind)

Your next shortest ride option after the beginners ride is a 10.30 outing of 21 miles around Leighton Buzzard

At 10am riders can join a 32 mile ride which travels on nice quiet roads to Evershot

As we have now entered summer mode the longest ride of the day starts at 9am and on the first Sunday of each month (this one) the ride includes a coffee and cake stop half way round. For May our destination is Monkey Puzzle garden in Thame. If the weather dictates the need for an indoor setting, option two will be Bradmoor Farm in Haddenham. This 9am route is 48 miles without many hills, so good to keep a group together with some steady rotation of the rider sitting at the front of the group

9am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50516984

10am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48000996

10.30am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50526819

10.45am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50526601

Roll on Sunday!

FOUR ride options for local riders this week including a beginners and returners ride at 10.45 specifically for people who have not ridden with the group before and are fairly new to cycling or those who may have ridden with us in the distant past but had forgotten they had a bike in the garage/shed/spare room. We welcome new faces to our rides, whether that be individuals or small groups. Our rides are non competitive, non racing and usually finish with beer and chips or coffee and cake!

All rides this week start from the bus shelter outside Ivinghoe church. General rule of thumb is the shorter the ride the lower the average pace. The new starters ride will be ridden at a pace to suit the slowest riders, on the other rides the Pace ranges from 13 mph to 17mph depending on the amount of hills on a route. New riders are welcome on any of the rides if they have the legs and experience to fit in. If riders are looking for higher speeds some local cycling clubs have a few quicker options for you!

9.30am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50463253 38 miles to Kinsbourne Green

10am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50340017 29 miles through Wing and Cubblington

10.30am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50435815 21 miles through Eaton Bray and Wingrave

10.45 am starters and returners https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45284748 14 miles local miles without any big hills

As we enter May next week we operate “summer mode” the longer rides revert to 9am and on the first Sunday of the month rides will include a coffee stop. The 9am rides will stretch out to around 100km on some weeks with destinations such as Benson, Silverstone, Brill and knebworth. There will also be several opportunities to “park and ride” where we set a start point an hour’s drive from Ivinghoe so we can enjoy rides in different counties.

Extra read if you have nothing else to do! Below is a little extract from a post sent out a couple of years ago, I think most parts of it are still applicable today

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

Route planners and post publishers by no means guarantee 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.

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 pushing 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.

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!

Roll on Sunday!

Three rides for your enjoyment this Sunday, your shortest option is 22miles, up Crowns next past cow roast and up new road. The middle distance is 30 miles up over Dunstable Downs and back through Markyate to Ashridge The longer distance a 46 mile loop of Aylesbury Vale, visiting a new road layout at Waddesden

10.30am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50340117

10amhttps://ridewithgps.com/routes/50323948

9.30am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50355358

All rides start outside the church in Ivinghoe, we aim to keep groups together by looking out for riders behind as well as holding the wheel in front.

Roll on Sunday!

This week flat is fast! The medium and longer routes don’t have too many slopes to slow riders down, so everyone should be back at the pub knocking on the door at opening time! The 10.30am 20 mile route bucks the trend with a few hills to tackle and has as much elevation as the 10am 33 mile route!

9.30am Great, Little Horwood https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50241046 41 miles through Winslow

10am Aylesbury Vale Flatlands https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50241046 33 miles out to Ford

10.30am Rossway Loop https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50242205 20 miles including Dancers End and Rossway.

Thanks to Richard and Dave for the finely crafted 10am and 10.30 routes, delivered as usual for your Sunday enjoyment!

Thanks to the riders who have responded “going” to the event on Facebook

Dave J +1, Dave H, Trevor, Judy, Linda, Debs, Paul, Alan, Janice have all confirmed, meal bookings have been made based on these. If you are planning on joining the group now is the time to make it known!!

The rides start at 1pm on Friday and 10am on the other days, riders can join us for all rides on dip in and out depending on how the legs feel. Plenty of nice walking locally for those who don’t fancy all the rides! The pace will be tourist pace, like last year typically 13mph-14mph.

Arrival Friday 16th May 2025, all routes start from Ludlow High Street

Friday route Leominster and Tenbury Wells 1pm start

32 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47581646

A fairly easy 32 miles enjoying some of the local countryside after a big climb out of Ludlow to wake up the legs. Coffee/tea break is planned for the 24 mile mark in Tenbury at Mr Toms coffee shop

Friday evening meal: 7pm Rose and Crown https://www.theroseandcrownludlow.com/menu 

Saturday Route Welsh Adventure

60 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47581493 10am

A great route exploring the England Wales boarder with some challenging climbs, the lonest being a 750 feet gain over a 4 mile climb The magic of this route is that after 35 miles the climbing is over and it’s an easy return to Ludow. Coffee stop at Coffee House or Rose Cottage after 20 miles and at Offas dyke visitor centre after 40 miles

Saturday evening meal 6.30pm The Blue Boar http://www.blueboarludlow.co.uk/evening-menu

Sunday Route The Long Mynd & Much Wenlock 10am

62 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47582127

A beautiful route with one stand out climb, The Long Mynd, a 5 mile rise gaining 1,220 feet at an average of 5% but topping out in places at 25%. In the second half we visit the pretty medieval town of Much Wenlock which used to host athletic games which inspired the modern Olympic games. Coffee at Carding Mill Valley after 27 miles and maybe a refuel stop at the fox inn in Much Wenlock

Sunday Evening meal: Freestyle various options like a harvester type pub called the squirrel, Golden Moments Indian Restaurant or the old bakehouse burger bar, all three are open on Sunday nights for food, unlike the town centre pubs

Monday Route Clee hill 31 miles 10am

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49341482

The final day hits the heights of Clee Hill with some spectacular views, your finish line is really after 24 miles as you won’t need to pedal for the final 7 miles, a great way to wrap up the weekend!

coffee at “Brewe” Clee Hill after 24 miles

Any questions please ask!

It;s the first rides of April and we are not fooling around, some hills and some thrills on the agenda for Sunday. While there will be climbs the overall elevation for the routes is not too high, so some good flowing rides ahead! Good to see a large number of Ivinghoe Velos out wearing the blue kit last Sunday with at least 17 riders across the three ride options.

All rides start from Ivinghoe church, the 9.30 ride goes through Great Missenden, making it’s way to descend the mighty Kop Hill. The 10am route takes riders out to Oving and then back via Aston Abbots. The 10.30 ride climbs out of Berkhamsted and travels through Ashridge and under the zoo.

9.30am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50169816 41 miles

10am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50122514 30 miles

10.30am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50169068 23 miles

Our final Sunday outings for March include some great scenery and a few slopes! Three route options where groups will aim to stay together so everyone gets that group feel. All rides start from Ivinghoe church

9.30am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50089911 39 miles 1950 feet of climbing, Brickhill & Woburn route provided by Dave H

10am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50079290 34 miles 1,600 feet of climbing, reaching Woburn, route provided by Richard F

10.30am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50086095 23 miles, 1,200 feet of climbing, a trip south towards Chesham route provided by Dave B

The 9.30am route goes the other way round to the 10am route, so make sure you wave to any familiar faces going in the opposite direction.

The 9.30 route also has a dash at our “downhill challenge” towards Slapton where riders must stop pedaling at the top junction and see how far they can “glide” through Ivinghoe Aston.

Three routes to chose from this Sunday, all routes this week start from the shelter in front of Ivinghoe church. Each route has a couple of climbs in but the total elevation is not too great so they should be good to keeps groups together.

9.30am 38 miles to Hogshaw https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50024991

10am 30 miles to Chesham https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50003895

10.30am 24 miles to Little Gaddesden https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50001035

Thanks to Richard and Dave B for the short and medium route options

Three ride options this week, two 10am routes and a shorter 10.30 option

10.30am Wingrave & Aston Clinton 24 miles rolling https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45328750

10am Soulbury & Drayton Parslow 32 miles rolling https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49938953

10am Brickhill & Drayton Parslow 36 miles rolling https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49960721

The aim is to leave no one behind, so rides will adjust pace to make sure all riders get around the routes with the group. After last Sunny Sunday’s bumper turn out and pub garden take over, the weather forecast this Sunday is cooler but dry and bright!