Cafe Catch Calculator

[G3CWI]

I cycle with our club's "Easy Riders" on a Sunday. Over the months I have got to know them and enjoy their company. They ride out to a cafe where tea and cake are consumed and ride back by a different route. Beginners are welcome and the rides are well-organised, slow and sociable.

Occasionally I like a bit more of a challenging ride so i wondered how I could spice up an easy ride and came up with the idea of a cafe-catch. The idea is simple; the easy riders publish their route and which cafe they will go to. I download it, and work out how much later I can (dare) set off to catch them as they arrive at the cafe. Best so far has been two places behind them in the queue for the cake. I then enjoy my cake with the group and ride back with them. Having given my all on the way out I have been known to struggle to keep up on the way back! So I get a challenging "chase", cake and a social ride all in one.

To make the time I set off easier to work out I have developed a little spreadsheet. It's easy to use. I have attached it for your delectation in case you fancy a Cafe Catch.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

i'd quite like a calculator that works the other way, so i can work out how much earlier my son and i would need to leave to arrive at the club run café stop with the rest of them…

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

Does the group know your tactic or do you just turn up to the start a few minutes late? I'm surprised no one thinks you're belittling them slightly. If you fancy more competion just go out with a quick group.

 

[G3CWI]

I'm surprised no one thinks you're belittling them

A good point; I must admit that had not really occurred to me. However I don't think they are bothered as the ride is very informal. Some (most?) can cycle far faster than me in any case. It is quite common for people to join at the cafe or leave the group the cafe if they fancy something more challenging. For me it is just a way of combining two things.

Our faster groups ride on a Saturday and I am working so that's not really an option.

 

[bpsmith]

Does the group know your tactic or do you just turn up to the start a few minutes late? I'm surprised no one thinks you're belittling them slightly. If you fancy more competion just go out with a quick group.

Would that be seen as belittling? I am honestly asking, as I wouldn't see it that way by default.

My view from outside this is that @G3CWI would like to combine a faster ride with meeting up with friends for chat and banter at the café. I accept that there's 2 views to this and intrigued what others think.

I mainly ask because I ride with a group sometimes, where there's mixed ability. Loads of riders climb faster and we all wait at the top. At face value there is never any animosity, but a couple of us have felt it when stopping somewhere for coffee.

Not trying to take over the thread, but this is a similar scenario. I have no issue with riders being faster or slower than me and all of us waiting where needed, but do slower riders not like this? Is it added pressure?

 

[G3CWI]

All I can add was that today for the first time I actually caught the group up before the cafe. There were 20 and probably half did not realise that I was not there from the start. Of those that did and mentioned it, I said that I set off later. None looked even remotely belittled. And they saved me a chair in the cafe so I didn't feel ostracised. I enjoyed a pleasant sociable ride back. I'm not seeing a problem here at the moment.

 

[midlife]

Do you not help out "at the back" pushing slower riders? Or is that no longer done on Sunday Runs....

Shaun

 

[G3CWI]

Do you not help out "at the back" pushing slower riders? Or is that no longer done on Sunday Runs....

Far too belittling I feel. I did see a husband pushing his wife last week but I did not feel the urge to join in.