The Lanterne Rouge is the last rider in the tour de france, the worst, slowest competitor. The name originates from a light hung on the last carriage of a railway train (so the signalmen could look back to check if any couplings have become well, uncoupled). Red is the colour with the longest wavelength so it can be seen from further away than any other colour.

So is the Lanterne Rouge really the worst, slowest competitor? Absolutely not! Usually they are battling illness or injury and valiantly continue the race to the bitter end while others drop out along the way. They may have been following team orders and given everything in the early part of stages and then slowly drop back through the peleton to their daily struggle to get to the finish before the time limit.

Modern Tour de France riders have to finish in a time between 10% and 25% (depending on the type of stage) slower than the winner’s time to be able to start the next day. Back in the first tour de france in 1903 there was no limit and the last placed rider Arsene Millocheau racked up 64 hours 57 minutes and eight seconds longer than winner Maurice Garin, that’s 50% longer!

That first tour de france was held over 6 stages with an average length of 250 miles, however there were three rest days between each stage. Each rider won prize money as long as they achieved more than 12 miles per hour. Arsene Millocheau was often missing from the results in the sponsor newspaper “L’Auto” because he finished after the print deadline.

Each week The Ivnghoe Velos set out for adventures in Herts, Beds and Bucks and someone is at the back of the group, that person may be battling illness, injury or a few too many beers the night before but they are out there and will finish the ride. Riding together and supporting each other so no one gets left behind is what we are about

So whether you are a regular or have recently happened upon our friendly cycle group on facebook or word of mouth, get out and join us when you can, enjoy the ride, you may be the lanterne rouge but that’s ok, you are still a hero for taking the plunge. We can’t guarantee a champagne reception at the end, but someone might buy you a beer.

Rides start from the church in Ivinghoe, there are two 10am options, both the same route until the final 3 or 8 miles, so you can see how the weather is before you decide long or short. The 10.30 of 24 miles ride also has the same start and finish as the 33 mile 10am ride. All rides return to Ivinghoe.

10am 33 miles: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42125560

10am 38 miles (same route with a 5 mile add-on) https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42133515

10.30am 24 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42125596

Three routes for your consideration this week. After a chilly start the sun is due to come out, so what could be better than a group road ride out in the glorious countryside. Two 10am choices, 38 miles heading north will have you at your Witts End (excuse the pun) or a 30 mile route heading south to South Heath (naturally). At 10.30am we have a 22 mile loop which cruises through Tring and Berkhamsted and back via Ashridge.

10am 38 miles Witts End https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42077630

10am 30 miles South Heath https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42069181

10.30am Tring, Berko, Ashridge https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42069234

We are the Ivinghoe Velos, we are a friendly cycling group who like to encourage participation in the great sport of cycling in a non competitive way. Our rides start from Ivinghoe church on a Sunday morning and arrive back conveniently close to the Rose and Crown pub for those in need of post ride refreshment.

We aim to leave no one behind, so it’s useful if all riders have a good idea of the route planned, or a sat nav to guide you on your way. We aim to stick together on flat sections and regroup after the climbs, Rides leave promptly so please arrive before the start time, we may split into pace groups depending on the number of riders.

Roll On Sunday.

This week we have three route options for your consideration.

At 10am you can choose between a 39 mile fairly flat route or a hillier 30 mile route (both routes have the same amount of climb), At 10.30 the option is 23 miles. While there is no dedicated beginners ride option we always welcome new riders and do our best to look after everyone in the groups. We start promptly from the church in Ivinghoe After a couple of hours out on the roads of Herts Beds and Bucks we have a debrief and vital liquid replenishment at the Rose and Crown pub in Ivinghoe. Generally ride paces range from 13mph to 16mph averages and we split into pace groups if there are enough riders.

While we have your attention we would like to highlight a group cycling holiday in the Autumn. Not only are we heading to Yorkshire for a weekend in May this year, we also plan to cycle in the Italian Alps. Staying for 5 or 6 nights in Bormio from 28th August. An exmaple of the amazing riding there is available at: https://lovevelo.co.uk/italy/the-stelvio-mortirolo-weekender/ the estimated cost of the trip will be somewhere in the region of £1,500 The trip will include Stelvlio bike day when the roads are closed to cars. If you’d like to express an interest or have more questions please email cycleclive@gmail.com once details are firmed up will be send out a dedicated post will full details.

Now back to THIS weekend’s rides…..

10am longer option https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42017203

10am medium option https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41961450

10.30am short option https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42015778

Depending on the weather forcast nearer the time, Sunday 26th Feb may include a 9am start with a slightly longer route option and a coffee stop thrown in!

Good to see plenty of bikes out on the roads this week, feels like a little bit of spring in the air! The thought of warmer weather and longer days raises the spirits and increases the options for riding with pals.

Our rides set off from outside Ivinghoe church and end up at the same spot, conveniently close to the rose and crown public house for those in need of refreshment/reward. We ride road bikes in groups based on expected average pace.

We have our final dedicated starters and returners ride this week, hopefully any locals looking to join an easy paced group ride will have made it out on two wheels. Richard will be the man in charge this Sunday at 10.45 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41942199

We have three further ride options this week, a medium and longer at 10am and a 10.30 shorter option. Once we get to March we will look at moving back to 9am starts and include the odd coffee option too.

10am longer: 35 miles including up Bison Hill https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37594212

10am medium: 30 miles Pedley Climb & down Bison https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41961450

10.30 shorter: 24 miles inc New Road https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41961397

We are a little over three months away from a planned trip to West Yorkshire.

The plan is to base ourselves in the town of Holmfirth for a weekend from 19th May and explore the local area on two wheels. We will plan road routes for Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday with the Friday and Monday rides being shorter to enable folk to travel. (2pm Friday afternoon and 10am Monday morning up to 30 miles). All rides will have at least one planned refreshment stop. Last year in May we visited Tewkesbury and completed rides on the weekend with days of around 60 miles at 14 miles per hour, this is tourist pace, having a good look at the new scenery rather than racing round at top speed. If the distance is a problem don’t worry we will have short cut versions too.

One of the joys of cycling is that you work up an appitite so we plan to enjoy some local hospitality in the evenings. In Holmfirth there is a range of accomodation to suit everyone’s taste and budget, book your own accomodation and we will provide the routes and start times. For the best group experience booking something which doesnt require getting into the car once booked in is best. Looking to book now would give you the most choice.

The Holme valley scenery is well known as it was used to film “last of the summer wine”. The town is close to the peak district national park and is part of the west riding of Yorkshire. There are plenty of lovely quiet routes with some decent climbs with rewarding views and descents. Holmfirth has many stone built cottages with a range of hotels, pubs, bars and eateries, we can join up for food, or just drinks if you prefer self catering.

Once we know the number of people coming along we will look into options for food and drink including mid-ride cafe stops. If you are unable to get up early for a ride on Friday we can meet in the evening to fuel up for the Saturday ride!

Cycling is very much a team sport. A pro race features multiple cyclists working as a team. Teams work as units and each rider has various responsibilities based on their strengths. Usually, they are all working together to help one key person achieve an objective. This might be to become the king of the mountain (best climber) or speed king (fastest sprinter). Often the objective is to win a single day race or a stage of a multiday race and then win a multiday tour. Those team members who are not in the frame for major awards are known as “domestiques”-they do the donkey work that enables their leader to achieve their goals. Sometimes this means going back to the team car and getting water and supplies and other times it may be “pulling” the rider or allowing him to catch a draft behind you in the peloton. Sometimes riders may even turn around and go back to pace a rider back up into contention.

We don’t have team cars or awards to aim for, in fact our team objective is usually getting everyone back to the Rose and Crown close to opening time to sup on a beer and share some cheesy chips. This being said, we do work as a team sharing the wind on the front of the group, watching out for hazards and sharing the pain of the odd puncture. Cycling with others makes for a joyful morning out, so if your objective is beer and cheesy chips, a fitness kick, or getting back for family time, come along and join the team.

We have 4 routes on Sunday, all leaving the church in Ivinghoe at the stated start time. Last week we had a really great turn out with a couple of good size groups out at 10am and more at 10.30 and 10.45. We welcome newcomers and regulars with the same friendly approach and split into pace groups based on your expected average speed so everyone gets some ride companions.

Our 10.45 ride features Jason as ride leader who will brief any newcomers, making sure no one is left behind and is a great introduction to riding on roads as a group.

10am 36 miles, longer route https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41912015

10am 28 miles lumpy route https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41904517

10.30am 19 miles Leighton Loop https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41904530

10.45am 16 miles Beginners and Restarters https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41904456

We are a group of friends riding toegther rather than a cycling club. There are no fees or rules involved in riding with us, we offer no insurance or assurances around the safety of our outings. Riders join rides at their own risk. Please review riding conditions on the day of rides and also make sure your bike is safe and road worthy, we might help with a puncture repair, but a full service needs to be booked elsewhere! We ride road bikes and would recommend riders carry spare tubes and a pump, or a phone and back-up plan!

One of the most annoying (in my humble opinion) saying is “we go again” spoken often in football to mean perform as well next time after a victory, or as a pick up after a defeat, it was first uttered by Steven Gerrard after a win at Norwich in 2014, it’s now used as often as pro cyclists say “yeah” to start a sentence (and also throw in an extra “yeah” mid sentence for effect). For some more inspiring cycle quotes see the bottom of the post! In the mean time after missing out on road rides last week……. we go again.

10:30am 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

We are lucky enough to have Ian Taylor looking after new starters and re-starters this week while Dave Bembridge takes a well earned break from leading.

Rides start from outside ivinghoe church. We depart on time so please arrive earlier that your planned route leaves ivinghoe. We are an inclusive, non-competitive group who welcome newcomers and returners, no one gets left behind until the final sprint. Look after those in your group, your “peloton” should be greater than the sum of it’s parts.

If you are in need of some motivation try these cyclling quotes:

Training is like wrestling a bear – you don’t stop just because you’re tired.

You are one ride away from a good mood.

The older I get, the faster I was.

I just trebled the value of my car, I put my bike in the boot

My ultimate fear is that when I die my wife sells my bikes for what I told her I paid for them.

They are not hills, they are mounds of opportunity.

Sweat is just your fat crying

Age and treachery will overcome youth and skill

Beyond pain there is a whole universe of more pain

The bicycle is just as good company as most husbands and, when it gets old and shabby, a woman can dispose of it and get a new one without shocking the entire community

You can’t get good by staying at home. If you want to get fast, you have to go where the fast guys are

Life is a long, winding hill climb. It’s knackering and painful at times, but as long as you don’t give in, you’ll be able to look back and enjoy the view

I don’t ride to add days to my life, I ride to add life to my days

The only bad ride is the one that didn’t happen

You never have the wind with you — either it is against you or you’re having a good day

Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realise fishing is stupid and boring.

No bike ride is too far when you have good company

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