Hello … it has been a while

As the Covid rules are starting to be relaxed, we here at Velos Towers thought we might start a very gentle journey back towards riding as a group again. To ensure we all stay safe, we will be strictly sticking to the Government guidelines and rules explained in detail on the Government Covid Website.

The Rules

If you have any of the symptoms, please stay at home. Or, if you are in a vulnerable group please don’t join us – it’s better to go solo to absolutely eliminate any chance of picking up the virus.

We plan to change our meeting spot to the car park area by the entrance to Ivinghoe Church and Windmill Close in Ivinghoe. This gives us plenty of space to ensure that, if there are more than 6 of us, we gather into distinct groups that are self contained and do not mix with the other groups. There must not be any chance that an onlooker might thing that we are a single group of riders numbering more that 6 people.

If there are more than 6 riders, then each group must leave the start at different times and must not join up with another group during the ride at any time.

When riding keep a minimum of 2m apart. Give your fellow riders more space if you can.

Each rider must take responsibility for their own safety and adherence to the Government Covid Rules. Please don’t take our interpretation of the rules as advice. You should read the linked site above and decide for yourself if your activity is within the guidelines.

The Rides

9am start, 50 mile ride

10am start, 33 mile ride

10am start, 25 mile ride

The Beer

The wonderful Mr Brembridge has reserved two outside tables at the Rose & Crown in Ivinghoe for use by The Velos. This means a maximum of 6 people per table and we need to socialise as these distinct groups. When you arrive at the pub you are obliged to give your details to a member of staff as per the Government rules. There will be a table service for for food and drinks.

We must not leave our bikes at the front of the pub. The landlord Mick has arranged for us to be able to store our bikes safely in the shed at the back of the pub. The door to the shed, alongside the pub, will be open.

A happy Easter to all Ivinghoe Velos. Hope everyone is fit and well. Easter has traditionally been a time when the roads have been quieter than normal so we have ridden routes on slightly more major roads, in 2018 we have an excursion on the A413 between Chesham and Aylesbury (https://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_4710173.html) and last year we made it to Gawcott (https://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_4900123.html).

Anyone taking their daily exercise on a bike recently will appreciate that quiet roads are not unusual right now. So whether you relive an old ride, stay close to home like last weeks loop (https://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_5033200.html) or make use of the dry trails on your mountain bike (https://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_5039784.html) Stay safe, ride alone and enjoy your route.

Hello to all Ivinghoe Velos, hoping everyone is fit and well and looking forward to some sunshine and warm temperatures this weekend. Usually when we get a decent forecast we would put out the rallying call to get as many riders out as possible on Sunday morning. However sadly, solo rides and staying local are the two main criteria for my riding suggestion. Here is a little 20 mile classic flat loop which starts at the bottom of Westfield Road in Pitstone. I’ve been really creative with the title for the ride, it’s called the Westfield Road 20 mile flat classic loop. Tackle this loop at your leisure over the weekend, ride solo and check out who else has been out and about on Strava. Having ridden it myself on Friday evening I can confirm all roads are open and surfaces and generally good.

20 mile ride whenever you like route: https://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_5033200.html

Stay safe and stay well

Hoping all Ivinghoe Velos are fit and well this weekend. Two ride options for you this week. Only to be considered as a solo ride. To encourage this and to avoid accidental meet ups, the start point of the rides is not the Rose and Crown. Tackle these ride suggestions whenever you have time over the weekend!

One road ride and one MTB ride. The rides are planned to keep you close to home so if you have any issues you will be able to get yourself home without the need for unnecessary car travel.

Regular exercise increases your immunity to infection, 60 minutes a day is enough to trigger the immune response. Exercise releases endorphins to make you happy. There are some theories that high intensity exercise for an extended period of time can leave athletes susceptible to illness. Some exercise is far better than no exercise, but don’t over do it! These rides aim to hit the sweet spot!

With the wind coming down from the North the 25 mile road route heads that way first giving riders a tail wind return from Soulbury. As mountain bike riding is not so effected by wind this 23 mile route heads south before returning via Dancers End.

Ride solo, ride with extra caution and enjoy the dry conditions and quiet roads, see you on strava!

Road 25 https://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_5027943.html

MTB 23 https://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_5027948.html

We have two rides on offer this week, one of 40 miles and one of 24 miles, both setting off at 10am. Due to encouraging comments via our social media channel it’s clear some riders still want to get out and exercise despite the current difficulties we all face. A quick check on strava confirms many riders are still riding outdoors in controlled groups. If government policy dictates further measures we will react this week and in future weeks to support these policies.

It’s recommended to keep 2m from other individuals so if there are large numbers of riders on a route we need to split into smaller groups to help with spacing. Although the roads may be quieter we need to take extra care to stay safe and not be a burden on the heroes at the NHS. Getting fresh air and company at a relaxed pace is the order of the day. Anyone wishing to ride solo can check out the routes and give us a wave if our paths cross.

We cannot advocate meeting indoors post ride. Please don’t feel the need to show your face if you are self isolating due to contact with someone who has any virus symptoms or you have shown any symptoms yourself. Stay well everybody.

10am Bunkers Blast https://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_5023306.html

10am Dagnal 24 https://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_5023313.html

This week we follow a similar format to last Sundays rides with an additional few miles at 9am before groups meet for the main rides at 10am. This seemed to work well last week with the longer 10am group completing 40 odd miles at around 16mph. More of the same this week! The longer route of 40 miles will visit Wobun, while a 25 mile shorter option sticks to the lowlands around Slapton.

Whilst we often have high temperatures, excessive sweating and shortness of breath when attempting Bison Hill in a rain jacket, if you have these symptoms while reading this update on your sofa you probably should give the next couple of weeks a miss. For anyone with contamination concerns, some of our members have, over the years, practised social distancing by deliberately sitting off the back of our group (particularly again on Bison Hill), so feel free to join our rides in whatever position you are comfortable in. Leading experts may have said that cycling builds resilience to viral infections so there is no better time to get on your bike. With most other sport postponed we may see a small increase in roadside fans so be sure to look out your best weatherproof kit this weekend.

9am add on https://www.mapometer.com/cycling/route_5020986.html

10am longer https://www.mapometer.com/cycling/route_5020978.html

10am shorter https://www.mapometer.com/cycling/route_5020985.html

With overnight rain clearing we should be left with some reasonable riding conditions this Sunday. The 9am option is a loop taking us back to the the Rose & Crown after an hour, meaning riders will have a second chance of getting together. Both 10am routes aim to finish with some wind assistance so you can leave it all out on the road and hopefully get blown home! The longer 10am route is 44 miles over to Winchendon, some climbs in the middle but otherwise reasonably flat. The shorter 10am route is a 28 mile flat ride to Terrick, perfect if you have had a bit of a lay off during the recent poor weather!

9am extension https://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_5018242.html

10am 44 miles https://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_5018239.html

10am 28 miles https://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_5018240.html

With Spring showing signs of finally arriving we look forward to a summer of cycling with some event planning in progress.

Rod and Dave D are heading off Majorca on Thursday 16th April until Sunday 19th April, if anyone is keen to tag along please speak to the guys this week. A great chance to enjoy a warm weather velos training camp!

On Sunday 21st June some Ivinghoe Velos will be riding round the Isle of Wight in a day, this will be a road ride with two meal stops. You have plenty of notice in case you want to build it into holiday or weekend away plans!

Silverstone Race track is open for cycling on selected evenings £10 per rider. A great opportunity to get a team draft going on the smooth 4 mile circuit. The first opportunity is 7th April followed by 13th May. How many laps can we do during the evening?

So we can say goodbye to February, probably the worst month for riding in the history of the Ivinghoe Velos. March brings more optimism for better ride conditions so join us at 9am or 10am on Sunday for some super routes in the Buckinghamshire countryside.

The 9am route is 50 miles, climbing up into the Chilterns before heading back, wind assisted through the Aylesbury vale. The longer 10am route (38 miles) visits Wingrave, Wiggington, Berkhamsted, and Nettleden, while the shorter option (28 miles) also heads to Wingrave and then over to Wiggington.

Dust down your trusty steed, spring is on the way, time to ride…….

9am 50 miles Risborough Route https://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_5015501.html

10am 38 miles Berkhamsted Ridehttps://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_5015524.html

10am 28 miles Wiggle to Wiggington https://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_5014457.html

Rides

A bit of recycling this week as we don’t think that anyone actually rode the routes we put out for the last couple of Sundays (which was quite sensible given what the weather was doing).

9am 50 miles South to Penn https://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_4883756.html

10am 23 mile Wiggington loop https://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_5006061.html

10am South to Chesham https://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_5006062.html

10am MTB option https://gb.mapometer.com/mountain_biking/route_5006895.html

Velos Kit Order

We have received the following email from our kit supplier with regards to the recent order –

I have been informed overnight that your order will now be shipped on 16/03. I am very sorry for this inconvenience.

This is a situation that is beyond our control. The circumstances are that the coronavirus has impacted our business and effectively our factory has only returned back to work this week, mainly down to travel restrictions that have been put in place by the Chinese government. We are now back up to about half capacity which has seriously affected what we can put out.

I am so sorry for any issues this might cause but I hope you can appreciate these circumstances are out of our hands.

As Dennis approaches us this weekend the forecast for Sunday in not particularly encouraging. We have expected wind speeds of 45 miles per hour and 90% chance of rain. So a bit less windy than last Sunday, but maybe wetter! We are putting out one 10am road option (35 miles) and one mountain bike lanes explorer (21 miles). If you feel brave enough, or are getting a bit stir crazy, give it a go!

10am road route: Dennis The Menace https://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_5010097.html

10am MTB route: Dennis Does Dancers https://gb.mapometer.com/mountain_biking/route_5010102.html