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 for every Sunday since 2010. It’s great that 12 years on we still get over 20 riders show up for a windy winter ride (last Sunday).

At the time of writing the forecast for Sunday’s rides is dry with light winds and above freezing. While the guys at Velos Towers try to plan rides based on the weather conditions, we can’t make a decision on your own safety, so please keep an eye on the conditions and only come out if the conditions are safe for you. If the weather takes a turn for the worse we will flick the MTB switch and move to the fat tyre alternative via our social media channels.

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 pusing 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.

During January we have a new starters and re-starters ride option for anyone wanting to try riding road bikes in a group, maybe you usually ride solo and would like to try something different, or maybe you’ve got a bike gathering dust that you really should be putting to use!

We organise rides into pace groups so riders can either feel comfortable at their usual pace, or push themselves to ride a little bit quicker. With this in mind we need riders to be realistic in the group they set out with. Steady is a pace that ensures no one gets left behind, medium is generally around 15mph and pacey is over 16mph. It’s not fun being miles behind everyone else so we try to moderate the group pace to stay together but if you are riding at 12 miles per hour in the pacey group we might come to an agreement that the group will push on without you. Equally if you are riding off the front of the steady group at 17 miles per hour, you probably should re-think your group choice!

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 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!

This weeks rides all start from outside Ivinghoe church and finish around the same spot, conveniently close to the Rose and Crown public house. Most routes head through Berkhamsted, over to Potten End and up to Gaddessen Row. Returning via Studham and over the Beacon.

10:45am 19 miles for New Starters and Re-Starters https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41805901

10:30am 23 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41812778

10am short cut (30 miles) https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41812756

10am 35 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41811790

10am 20 miles MTB icy conditions alternative https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41812851

Please have the route burned into your memory or plumbed into your garmin, there are sometimes sharp turns which can easily be missed, we don’t want to lose you! Rides leave on time, so arrive early to get set to go.

Roll on Sunday

This week we have four ride options for you starting from 10am, 10.30am and 10.45am, so a bit more frequent than the local busses. The rides all start from outside Ivinghoe church and finish in very close proximity to the Rose and Crown in Ivinghoe. Riding together makes the miles easier, a bit of chat and a bit of shelter from the wind. We aim to keep groups together until the final sprint, unless you have nothing left in the legs! So get yourself along to one of our rides this Sunday and enjoy the buzz and fresh air. During January we like to support those new years resolutions so we welcome anyone wanting to try out riding road bikes in a group, we have a wealth of riding experience and ride with a non competitive, enjoy the journey philosophy.

We have a ride poll on the facebook group “Ivinghoe Velos Rearhub” which details the rides and expected pace, you can put yourself into the catagory that most fits your expected average speed for the planned route so you are riding with similar riders

Pacey= over 16mph (no one achieved this average speed on any of our rides last Sunday)

Medium pace= around 15mph (around 30% of riders achieved this average speed last Sunday)

Steady pace= The speed of the slowest rider

 Be realistic about what speed you will ride out throughout the ride. If it’s hilly it will be slower.

Indicate on the poll which ride you are planning to do. It helps other riders decide too. If you have gone off too fast you can always drop back to the group behind. We’ve all  been there! You can change your selection too

Obviously if only three people turn up to ride it would be a bit rude not to look after each other!!!!!

Thanks to Dave Bembridge for this weeks routes, including a new 29 mile trip around the edge of Aylesbury. If anyone else would like to plot some routes using ridewithGPS we can take them on board for future weeks!

10am slightly longer route:https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41763144

10am not so long route https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41759340

10.30am a bit shorter route https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41759383

10.45am new starters and re-starters https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41747690

Happy new year! For many riders Sunday will be the first chance of a group ride this year, so dust off your trusty steed and join us for some mile munching. There are some of us who may feel the festive 500 was referring to mince pies rather than kms ridden, so with this in mind, we have limited the number of big hills on this weeks routes! For anyone setting targets for the year, now is the time to get some base miles in, winter miles= summer smiles.

At the start of the year we like to encourage new riders and returners, we start all rides with the motto that no one gets left behind (until the final sprint). We have four route options this week. At 10am you can choose from a 38 mile or a 29 mile ride. At 10.30 we have a 21 mile route and at 11am we have a 13 mile route for those wanting to try out road riding in a group and those returning to cycling after some time off.

The pace of the groups will be dictacted by those on the rides, in general the longer rides are slightly quicker, if you are able to ride at 15mph solo you will be plenty fast enough for any of the rides, if you ride at 13mph the shorter rides will be most suitable and the pace of the 11am route this week will be tailored to those riding.

Riding in a group helps to pass the miles with a bit of conversation and protection from the wind, riding with others avoids those “I think I’ll take a short cut home” thoughts. As a group of riders we are not looking to be competitive and would rather enourage the group to stay together and enjoy the stunning routes around Herts, Beds and Bucks. If you come on your own you are sure to recieve a warm welcome, if you want to bring friends that is great too!

Check out our facebook page the “rear hub” for a poll on who is riding when. Feel free to ask any questions! Our rides leave on time, so please be ready to leave from Ivinghoe church at the advertised start time.

10am 38 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41716239

10am 29 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41715957

10.30am 21 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41715974

11am 13 miles https://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_5420295.html

A very happy new year to all Ivinghoe Velos.

Sunday this weeks happens to be new years day so an ideal opportunity to get your 2023 mileage underway! The weather looks like a bit of a mixed bag so we have no set planned route but would encourage anyone in need of some fresh air to get a ride in for a couple of hours on Sunday morning.

Rides will be “make it up as you go along” starting at Ivinghoe church at 10am with a no-drop approach. Look out for future posts as we will be offering dedicated support to newer riders wishing to ride with a friendly group on a Sunday morning during the early weeks of the year.

As always you can communicate via our facebook “Ivinghoe Velos Rear Hub” where we organise ad-hoc rides as well as publishing polls for Sunday ride attendance. Feel free to advertise your own group ride suggestion on any days other than Sundays which is our specific group day.

We look forward to many more cycling adventures in 2023 from Sunday steady to tasty Tuesdays, away days, sportives, weekend specials and even the odd expedition on foreign soil.

Roll On Sunday

On Friday night (16th December) the Rose and Crown in Ivinghoe is our destination for some pre-Christmas drinkies. Hopefully despite the weather we should have a good crowd, please feel free to bring the other half (and I don’t mean your bike). Arrive and leave at your convenience, no food has been booked so unless you have already organised something at the pub please eat beforehand.

This Sunday is the last one before Christmas day itself. It’s a shame that the weather forecast is currently looking a bit bleak, with the chance of rain moving in, onto frozen ground. With this in mind there will be no routes advertised however we still hope that some riders will meet at 10am at Ivinghoe church to do something adhoc whether that be mountain bikes or something else we will keep the communication channels open via whatsapp and facebook. If you don’t fancy a ride on Sunday the pub opens at 12!

Look out for a seasonal walk planned for the festive period and as always please use our facebook rear hub to communicate if you fancy going out for a ride with a group mid-week.

By all accounts this weekend is going to be a cold one. With this in mind we plan to start rides at 10am and 10.30am and have mountain bike options. I have crafted a 28 mile route which is 80% on road with a few easy offroad sections and Dave B has developed two routes of 22 miles and 17 miles Gravel bikes and tough hybrids may also be suitable for these routes. All rides are non-drop, we need to make sure we don’t leave anyone out in the cold. As always all routes start at the church in Ivinghoe. Please take the weather conditions into account when choosing your mode of transport.

So wrap up warm and see you at Ivinghoe church, otherwise maybe a short ride to the pub to meet up after 12 is on order?

Talking of meeting at the pub, Friday 16th December is our planned Christmas social at the Rose and Crown in Ivinghoe. Anyone wanting to get together for a chat and a drink should make their way to our favourite watering hole. If you are wanting food maybe chat to the pub this Sunday, book your own meal in advance to avoid disapointment.

10am chunky tyres 28 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41557510

10am mountain 22 miles https://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_5416111.html

10.30am Mountain 17 miles https://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_5416112.html

Roll on Sunday!

Three routes for your deliberation this week, the weather forecast suggests I will be jelously stairing out of the window at work on Sunday! The 9am route heads over to Marsh Gibbon, while at 10am we navigate around Leighton Buzzard on a lumpy bumpy course. The 10.30 ride is a slightly shorter version of the 10am route.

9am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41065787

10am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41526280

10.30am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41526309

As it’s the first Sunday on the month a coffee stop on the 9am ride is possible at Quainton if riders would like to add this into the plan.

Don’t forget if you can’t make rides at the moment there will be an opportunity to meet up for a Christmas social drink on Friday 16th December at the Rose and Crown.

Roll on Sunday!

The usual three route options for your deliberation this week. As always please have a good knowledge of the planned route so riders stay together for the whole ride. Arrive at the church in Ivinghoe before the ride start times.

We have recently held a poll to establish the best night for a Christmas drinkies get-together and it’s looking like 16th December is the most popular option- so save the date and come along with or without you bike to the Rose and Crown for some festive fun.

9am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41492100

10am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41486466

10.30am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41486485

As we move into the gloomy months of low light levels, chilly starts and damp roads it’s good to look forward to future events. We will be holding several cycling events in 2023. Early season we have a a trip to Yorkshire in May (19th to 22nd) Routes will be planned to take in the best of the Holmfirth area, evenings will be spent “refulling”. All you have to do in book some accomodation whether that be a hotel, camp site or a shared self catering property. This will be a “no-one gets left behind” tourist pace trip similar to our Tewkesbury adventure in 2022. We will also be planning an end of season Majorca trip running along similar lines.

During the winter months the riding conditions can be variable. Please consider comfort and safety in your clothing and equipment choices. If you feel it’s unsafe to ride road bikes there may be a late call for going out on fat tyre bikes or later start times. We use a Whatsapp group called Ivinghoe Velos- Peleton to help with last minute communication.

Good to see a large number of the Ivinghoe Velos out last Sunday and proud that we were able to stand together with the community at our local church at 11am for rememberance.

Gnarly November: three routes all with a common theme this week, some Gnarly winter lanes to test bike handling skills. The 9am route is 15 miles longer than the 10am route, the 10am route is 7 miles longer than the 10.30 route, so in theory we should all arrive back at the pub at about the same time! Roll on Sunday!

9am November Gnarly https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41439734

10am Shorter Gnarly https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41439757

10.30am Shortest Gnarly https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41439771

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 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/decenders 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 spent on the front of the group, 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.

This week our rides start at Ivinghoe church and loop back there to enable riders to join the external part of the rememberance service just before 11am.

Once the service is over we will ride a short local loop before returning to Ivinghoe to finish close to the Rose And Crown.

Depending on numbers on the rides we may need to leave our bikes over the road by Ivinghoe lawn when attending the service, so we don’t block the entrance to the church. If riders are able to wear their Ivinghoe Velos kit this weekend it will be a nice touch to see the group together.

9am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41398716 (12 miles before church stop)

10am https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41396166 (27 miles before church stop)

10.30am, ride round the block and then join us for the second part of our routes after the service.

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 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 spent on the front of the group, 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.