This Sunday a local sportive “the tour de vale” takes place from Stoke Mandaville, if velos are thinking of riding, please share on social media so a group can form. The route looks good, riding slightly further west that we usually reach https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1574443

On Sunday we will have our usual three ride options for you starting from the church in Ivinghoe.

All three routes share some common elements, including tackling Toms Hill to warm riders up for a few climbs on generally quiet Buckinghamshire lanes.

9am 52 miles, 3,000 feet of climbing https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37499569

10am 36 miles, 2,000 feet of climbing https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37499603

10.30am 22 miles, 1,300 feet of climbing https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37499653

We are a group of friends riding bikes, not a cycle club, so it’s a nice idea to look over your shoulder and slow to ensure your group pulls along the slower riders. We suggest routes and enjoy the company of each other while out on our bikes. Those who lead out groups, the route planners and the I.T. gurus 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. We can’t guarantee that there will be riders & leaders on all rides but we are lucky enough to have a large following, so generally everyone gets some company out on the road. The route planning does not take into account short term road closures so please expect to need a degree of flexibility when out on our rides.

The evenings are drawing in, this week will be our last 6.30pm ride, after this we will begin rides earlier for a few weeks. Civil twilight this week (defined as a time when artificial lights may not be needed) ends at 19:50, sunset is 19:14 so somewhere between these times lights will be needed on your bike. Our ride of 16 miles should finish by 19:30. We start at Pitstone roundabout at 6.30pm

6.30pm ride 16 miles https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37484245

Why not start your own “Tour Of Britain” this Sunday, join us for rides of 50, 35 or 25 miles at 9am, 10am or 10.30am. We ride road bikes and generally average between 15mph and 17mph on rides.

All rides start at the church in Ivinghoe. If the number of riders is high it’s recommended to split into clearly defined groups of 8 or fewer riders. This will ensure we are not taking up too much road space and to enable groups to stay close together. Groups can be based on pace, or who you fancy a chat with, remember the peloton group is faster than the individual, so if you are opening up more than a couple of bike lengths, you are doing it wrong.

All rides are planned as social outings with a mid-ride stop for 5 minutes to take in a biscuit or warm cheese sandwich from the back pocket. A quiet lay-by so you are not an impediment to passing traffic works best. This weeks rides aim to finish at a similar time giving everyone the opportunity to support our local public house, the Rose and Crown in Ivinghoe.

9am option https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37441822

10am option https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37441870

10.30am option https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37441917

See you on Sunday for the best couple of hours of the week…..

As the schools go back the weather improves. That is the law. We take advantage of some late season sunshine with 20 miles out to Halton Camp. Please join us at Pitstone roundabout just before 6.30pm on Tuesday evening for this relatively flat ride (max gradient 4%)

Tuesday ride: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37413940

Three rides to pick from this week, routes head South. We will be departing from the church in Ivinghoe at 9am, 10am and 10.30am. The long and medium routes tackle the Col De La Eskdale in Chesham. All routes return to the Rose and Crown for optional post ride chat and refreshment. Please arrive with a working bike and a good idea of your planned route before the ride start time, we may split into pace groups if group numbers and high. Groups of 6 to 8 riders of a similar pace usually works best, look out for all riders in your group.

9am route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37361509

10am route https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37361672

10.30am route https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37361754

A reminder to all riders that we are a group of friends riding bikes, not a cycle club. We suggest routes and enjoy the company of each other while out on our bikes. Those who lead out groups, the route planners and the I.T. gurus 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. We don’t guarantee that there will be riders & leaders on all rides but we are lucky enough to have a large following, so generally everyone gets some company out on the roads.

It’s the last day of the month and someone needs 31km to reach the August distance challenge, so lets ride!!!

We have (oddly enough) a ride of just over 31km to complete from Pitstone roundabout starting at 6.30pm. We should get round before darkness, but anyone going for post ride refreshment will need lights to make it home safely. The route is fairly flat so should make it easy for the group(s) to stay close together.

The just over 31km ride https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37341926

An away day awaits for you this bank holiday weekend, a trip to Cambridgeshire. The route is flat and the drive is less than an hour, so join us for a nice flat ride on some different roads! We will aim to stick together, which tends to be easier on flatter routes.

We have 100km and 75km route options, so riders can join for the long route at 9am and split off to do the 75km, maybe grab a coffee and meet up again at the end, or aim to start at 10am and finish around the same time. The long route takes in part of the Cambridge busway, a nice flat tarmac track. The ride meeting point is Willington Dovecote (NT) MK44 3PX. There is a free car park and free side street parking close by, it’s a 50 minute drive from Ivinghoe. Please use our social media channels to arrange lift shares. Post ride refreshments can be taken at either the Danish Camp in Willington or The Anchor Pub on the river at Great Barford.

There will be the usual 10am and 10.30 local rides on offer, which start at Ivinghoe church. The 10am route is a lovely loop around Brickhill, with far more climbing that the Cambridge ride!!! At 10.30 we go for a 22 mile ride towards Aston Abbotts.

Also if anyone is in the market for a bank holiday leisurely paced ride that’s in the mix too, arrive at the church in Ivinghoe at 10am on Monday and we’ll see how the mood takes us.

Cambridge away day long 9am start(100km) https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37167591

Cambridge away day medium 9am/10am(75km) https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37252494

10am route Brickhill Loop https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37277083

10.30 route https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37279525

Next week we bid bon-voyage to Nick who is moving away from the area, hopefully scouting some new routes for us to try in the future!

A reminder to all riders that we are a group of friends riding bikes, not a cycle club. We suggest routes and enjoy the company of each other while out on our bikes. Those who lead out groups, the route planners and the I.T. gurus 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. We don’t guarantee that there will be riders & leaders on all rides but we are lucky enough to have a large following, so generally everyone gets some company out on the roads.

A 20 mile route for Tuesday evening, starting at Pitstone roundabout at 6.30pm, finishing at The church in Ivinghoe around 7.45pm We will split into pace groups if the numbers are large enough. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37252159

A slight re-shuffle in Ivinghoe Velos schedules on the next two Sundays. As Nick Carley is leaving the village scene in two weeks the ride on 5th September will be a local goodbye ride. This means that Sunday 29th August is our destination Cambridgeshire 100km away day.

Sunday 29th August 9am meeting at Willington Dovecot (NT) MK44 3PX, we will ride clockwise avoiding all hills over 4%! https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37167591 Free Parking is available. We have the option to stop for a drink at the Danish Camp https://danishcamp.co.uk/ or the Anchor at Great Barford https://www.anchorinngreatbarford.co.uk/ after the ride. All riders are welcome to tag along, the lack of hills means sticking together as a group should be easy and the lanes involved have a much lower level of traffic than our usual routes. For riders not keen on riding 100km, we have a shorter option which will start with the main ride, but shortcut back making a nice flat 75km mile loop. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37252494

This week we have three ride options for you! Short and flat, or longer and lumpier!

9am Hilly Lanes (thank you guest route plotter Clayton) https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37174854

10am Bishopstone Flat: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37020539

10.30am Halton Flat https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37020597

As usual rides start from the church in Ivinghoe and finish at the Rose and Crown in Ivinghoe for refreshments. Please have an idea of your choosen route with you to avoid wrong turns.

Remember the choice to ride with the Ivinghoe Velos is yours, but if everyone chooses to do their own thing there will be no Ivinghoe Velos. We don’t guarantee that there will be riders & leaders on all rides but we are lucky enough to have a large following, so generally everyone gets some company out on the road. We are a group of friends riding bikes, not a cycle club. We suggest routes and enjoy the company of each other while out on our bikes. Those who lead out groups, the route planners and the I.T. gurus 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.

Save the date: Sunday 5th September away day: The easiest 100km you will ever do, a circular route in Cambridgeshire, starting from Willington near Bedford (journey time 45 minutes) and avoiding all hills!!

After a great Sunday route that visited most of our Tuesday night hot spots, it’s tough finding somewhere or something different, here’s what I came up with.

We meet at the Pitstone roundabout to set off at 6.30pm. There are two options but it’s the same route, ridden clockwise or anticlockwise. Which way will you choose?

clockwise https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37167693

anticlockwise https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37167704

Advanced warning of an away day. Save the date 5th September for a flat 100km in Cambridgeshire, as easy ride to stay together with a no hills guarantee* https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37167591

*4% maximum gradient