Any requests for the weekend?
The Met Office is forecating -3 Fri night / +4 Sat day & -5 Sat night / +3 Sun morning so a later start may be in order to allow meltage time. I cant make Richard B’s route next week but it could be an option for us (thanks Richard!)
Thoughts?
You have probably read Adrian’s post for the Tuesday night chain gang here. You may have wondered what it was all about, questioned their sanity or even contemplated going along. Well this is your chance.
Chain gangs are a fantastic way to improve technique, endurance and speed. Just going along as a beginner and hanging on for as long as you can will see you staying with the group for longer and longer each week – however this can be intimidating to anyone unfamiliar with the etiquette and requirements of formation riding, especially when you see the after ride stats averaging 23mph and maxing at 35mph in the final sprint!
So what is the answer?
Simple – come with me on Tuesday! We will let the speed freaks do their thing while we follow at a more respectable pace practicing the skills required to ride at pace in a group. In a full chain gang it is a case of hang on or be ‘dropped’, but while we will lift the tempo as we progress we will not leave anyone behind (important considering I would probably be the first to be dropped) and we will all support each other.
Meeting at 8 at Argos we will all ride together to Long Eaton and do 1 lap of the circuit. We can then stop and have a quick chat about how it went before continuing to lap 2. Lights, road sense and wits obligatory, but as stated it is more about skills than speed at the moment, so just turn up and have a blast – you might even end up understanding some of the gibberish these guys post!
Can anyone one run an introductory ride this Saturday morning? There is a 13 year old, Francesco, interested in road racing and wants to join a club to start his cycling off. His father will accompany him, they just need someone friendly from the club to take them round. It is a chance to sell the club to him and get another member racing. The ride should be the intro route (already on the blog) so no need to plan that.
Please blog if you can help out, with a meeting time and location.
Many thanks – Rich
New to cycling or want to brush up on your group riding skills? We are running introductory rides where you will be accompanied around a flattish route by some more experienced cyclists. You can see the route route for the introductory rides here
We are looking at this being a 12.5 mph, 2 and a bit hour ride. It is a run designed to introduce people to riding as a group and thus is suitable for those who have experience of riding on the road as there will be some sections where there is traffic. Under 18s must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
The club cyclists will have a map and tools/spares and one will be riding ’shotgun’ as we will leave no one out on the route. The rides will be the 3rd Sunday of every month at 2pm (apart from June), leaving from Argos in Beeston Centre, and the dates are:
22nd March
26th April
17th May
Tim and Judy have worked out a route for the introductory rides here
We are looking at this being a 12.5 mph, 2 and a bit hour ride.
The club needs to provide a route leader and someone riding ’shotgun’ as we will leave no one on the road. The person at the back needs to be able to repair and carry spares. So if you are able to volunteer the rides will be on:
22nd March (Tim, Adrian)
26th April (Richard A, Lee)
17th May (Adam and John)
28th June ( Richard S and ? )
19th July (Paul H and ? )
16th August
20th September
(The 3rd Sunday of every month at 2pm (apart from June))
Let me know if you can help and what month ….
 | richard on Thursday chain gang |
| richard on Thursday chain gang |
| richard on Racing Sat 13th Darley Moor |
 | adrian on Wanted/For Sale ads |
 | Ian C on Wanted/For Sale ads |
 | guyd on Racing Sat 13th Darley Moor |
| guyd on Social Night Thurs 11th |
 | mat on Racing Sat 13th Darley Moor |
 | David Patrick on Family Rides |
| adrian on Family Rides |
| adrian on Racing Sat 13th Darley Moor |
| mat on Racing Sat 13th Darley Moor |
| adrian on Racing Sat 13th Darley Moor |
| Mat on Racing Sat 13th Darley Moor |
 | Andy B on Social Night Thurs 11th |
