As the result of a couple of great posts over on the Rear Hub Facebook group, we are going to make some changes to the Sunday rides this week. Our aim is to ensure we keep to one of our founding principals  – “No one gets left behind”.

The changes will be –

At the start of the 9am ride, we will have a discussion about what people are most happy with in terms of pace. If there are distinct differences, groups of riders will be formed to suit. At least one of the “regulars” will remain with each group as a nominated group leader. They will have a copy of the route and help ensure their group of riders stays together.

Each rider needs to be aware of who is cycling behind them. If they notice the person behind them dropping off the back, they should give a shout to the person in front of them asking for the pace to be reduced so that they can get back on. This call should be relayed to the front of the group and the ride leader.

The only exceptions to maintaining group formation is when going up and down hills. This is where many of the club push themselves and enjoy trying to hit a personal best. The speedy riders will wait at the top if the hill until the rest of their group are with them. The same applies after a steep or long decent where the riders at the front should wait somewhere safe for everyone to regroup.

For fast groups, there may be a point close to the end of the ride where the group want to sprint for the final couple of miles. That’s fine so long as the group as a whole know what’s going on. So please, ensure that your intentions are relayed to all members of your group and that a rider is not left to ride home alone.

The etiquette above is the collective thoughts of the regulars, distilled by your webmaster. Everyone who rides with us is entitled to add to these thoughts,  so please do speak up.

9am start, a flat 47 miles from Mr Howe

10am start, 32 mile route from Mr Bembridge

10am start, a flat 15 miles from Mr Bembridge

The Tea Ride is a place to learn
About riding on the road,
How to get more from your bike
And some cycling code.

Everyone is welcome
On bikes both big & small
And we’re really not concerned
If you’ve not ridden much at all.

Each ride has a leader
Who always knows the way,
And the route the ride will follow
Every Saturday.

That person at the front
Will set a steady pace
Designed to suit the slowest out,
The Tea Ride is no race.

We know there’s often grumbles
About the speed & hills
But the Tea Ride is your opportunity
To learn important cycling skills.

Better cycle handling
Can be learnt when going slow
A touch of brake or pedal
And in which gear to go

How to look behind you
And keep the ride as one
A bit of road positioning
And which hand signals are done.

The rider who is at the front
Should always be the one
That no-one ever overtakes –
To pass them simply isn’t done

Club etiquette says we will wait
At the top of every hill
And regroup at the bottom
After the free-wheeling thrill.

Going up or down are exceptions
To the overtaking rule
For then we get back in our group
– just like we did at school!

It’s fun to ride along with friends
And often side by side,
But 2 abreast is how it’s done –
Three is simply far too wide!

If you find you need to stop
Then loud & clear please call
“Stopping!” So all can hear you
And we avoid a crash & fall

The same applies to hazards
If hand signals you cannot make
Call out loud the problem
Then evasive action we can take

There’s always another rider
Who will bring up the rear
This is so we don’t lose you
And off the back you don’t disappear.

If you feel the Tea Ride
For you, is too slow
Then form a group amongst yourselves
And meet us wherever we go.

We always stop for tea & cake
Somewhere along the way
If you want to zoom ahead
And meet us there – just say!

You Sunday lot, there’s also things
That all of you should know
About looking after everyone
When in your groups you go

There’s something most disheartening
About being left behind
So keep looking over your shoulder
And bear this thought in mind.

It’s also very lonely
To be riding with no pals
That’s why the Velos group was formed
For all us boys n gals

We’ve always had a motto
To which all should adhere
We’ve safety then in numbers
And have pals with whom to share a beer

“No one EVER left behind”
Was the vow we made
It’s the only thing we’ve asked of you
But from it you seem to have strayed 🙁

We’ve had a little grumble
And laid it on the line
Please look after your fellow cyclists
So that everyone is fine.

You are cordially invited
To ride along with us
But please stick to our simple rules
So we don’t need to make a fuss.

The weather gods are not smiling favourably upon us again this week, so if you’re feeling brave and fancy a Tea Ride….. wrap up warm & use winter wheels!  Rose & Crown, 10am.

Apologies for the late post. Here are the rides for this week.

9am start, 47 undulating miles

10am start, 32 undulating miles

10am start, 21 miles with just the one slope

Wrap up warm as it looks like it might be a bit on the chilly side tomorrow.

Wrap up warm for another wintery tea ride. 10 am at the Rose and Crown, pick a leader and a tea room, cycle together as a group and have fun!

Our 9am ride this week includes some new roads thanks to some fine routing by Mr Dave “Only One Ring Required” Howe.

9am start, 47 miles

10am start, 35 miles

10am start, 19 miles

As always, please bring a copy of your chosen route with you. We depart from the Rose and Crown in Ivinghoe at the times stated.

Meet at the Rose and Crown for tea, cake and adventures. The weather looks damp and windy…..again. There may not be a leader for tomorrow’s ride, so nominate a rider to set a steady pace and pick a warm and cosy tea room to head for. Then back to the Rose and Crown for further refreshments.

Routes for Sunday

Three rides on offer this week, two of them from our other master route finder called Dave – Mr Howe.

9am start, 50 miles

10am start, 30 miles

10am start, 15 miles

As always, we launch from the Rose and Crown in Ivinghoe at the times stated above.

VC10 Ride on 28th February

Our good friend David Lewis (aka Biggles from the Slapton Wheelers) joined the 9am ride last Sunday and did a fine job of dragging the Velo’s peloton along. He has emailed us about a ride in a couple of weeks that might be of interest to our members.

The VC10 Bob Hobson Memorial 60 mile Reliability Ride is being held on the 28th February. I’ve done it for the last 5 and can vouch that it is a great event and beautiful route. This year it is held in memory of a club member, Bob Hobson. Details here https://www.facebook.com/events/1508323106139557/

Mark Beaumont

Dion Clements has emailed us about a show by the popular cyclist Mark Beaumont.

Hello Velos

We thought your members might be interested to know that world record breaking ultra-endurance cyclist and adventurer Mark Beaumont will be heading to High Wycombe’s Old Town Hall on Sunday, 13 March, and to the Radlett Centre on Wednesday, 23 March, with his brand new Africa Solo show. Details can be found here: www.bit.ly/1Owb3qL

Mark has taken on numerous world records in ultra-endurance. In 2008, he cycled the globe 82 days faster than the previous time, went on to pedal the length of the American Cordillera (Alaska to Argentina) in 2009 and recently smashed the Cairo-to-Cape Town record by completing it in just under 42-days (an average of 160+miles per day, every day)

Africa Solo is a story of extreme endurance, through deserts, mountains and vast savannah, as much as it is the people who made this journey possible.  It’s a tough, sobering, heart-warming account of a continent often portrayed for the wrong reasons, and Mark’s ambition to push his limits and set unbreakable World Records.

Off the bike, Mark has filmed numerous BBC documentaries, presented for the 2014 Commonwealth Games and written two best-selling books

It looks very cold and quite damp tomorrow, mountain bikes recommend. Just a reminder, the tea ride is all about going at the pace of the slowest rider. All are welcome, if you want to do a faster ride please state your intention at the start and form a separate group, meeting for tea. It becomes very hard to ride as one group otherwise. Anyone not fancying the weather, meet at the pub after midday for refreshments.

Mr Bembridge has supplied us with 3 options for rides this Sunday.

9am start, 43 miles

10am start, 34 miles

10am start, 20 miles

As always, we start from the Rose and Crown in Ivinghoe. Please bring a copy of your chosen route with you.

I have to confess, I am running out of ways to describe the torrent of weather befalling us on Saturday mornings!

I’m sure it’s seasonal – but probably monsoon season – so not local seasonal weather AGAIN this weekend.

However, should the forecasters be doing a “Michael Fish” and getting it completely wrong – or if you’re big enough and bad enough and fancy a splashy spin, don your oilskins and congregate at the Rose & Crown, Ivinghoe, ready to cast off at 10am.