Small Club? What do you run in reliability trials and the wrinkles run as our pensioners call themselves?
Don't think a club is for me
- Thread starter Stonechat
- Start date
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Small Club? What do you run in reliability trials and the wrinkles run as our pensioners call themselves?
TissoT
Guru
- Location
- The Home of British cycling
400 + members
Last edited:
400 + members
Though most of the "wrinkles run" is on the track (MV)
and at much higher speeds than we do on a club run..
Which club? Not sure your selling it well to some people who are thinking of joining a club, scared the pants off them. All my hard work is undone
Dave Davenport
Guru
- Location
- Hampshire
Agree that 20mph is not out of the ordinary for a club run 'fast group' but it would be unusual for it to be the only choice in any normal club.
Pale Rider
Legendary Member
Which club? Not sure your selling it well to some people who are thinking of joining a club, scared the pants off them. All my hard work is undone
Quite.
It takes a lot to make some roadies resist willy waving, but this thread is not the best place to do it.
Flick of the Elbow
Guru
- Location
- Edinburgh
I've done plenty of 20mph group rides in my time but I wouldn't describe any of them as clubruns.
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
Which club? Not sure your selling it well to some people who are thinking of joining a club, scared the pants off them. All my hard work is undone
Also curious as to which club as I get the impression @tissot is from Manchester (location: "The Home of British Cycling" and various comments on the boards). The Manchester Wheelers are the largest club in Manchester AFAIK, with membership numbers in line with what he is talking about (503 members as of 17/11/14 - numbers usually reduce around this time of year as people do not renew and then climb again throughout the year, resulting in a net increase). I'll tell you now, Manchester Wheelers club runs do not average 20mph (rolling speed on the flat might be ~20 mph though, but that is hardly rapid), if they did, I might avoid them less...
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Do you avoid them because they are too slow or because they are too fast?
(I suspect the former!)I was riding up the Cragg Vale climb once when a Manchester Wheelers bunch went past me on the steepest section. I was doing about 10 mph but they shot past me so I reckon they were doing close to 20 mph at that point. The guy on the front was pushing really hard and I got a good look at the faces of those further back torturing themselves not to get dropped. It was pretty impressive, but I felt sorry for the lanterne rouge who looked very close to vomiting as he passed me!
Hip Priest
Veteran
I don't know of a single cycling club that does 20mph 'club runs'.
derrick
The Glue that binds us together.
- Location
- On the edge of London
The two clubs i belong to both have a fast and normal ride,Over anything from 30 to 80+ miles, normal ride averages between 12 and 14 average and the faster ride between 15 and 18 mph depending on the amount of climbing.
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
The club I sometimes ride with, Bigfoot CC, has seven levels of ride, ranging from 1 (super fast guys and gals with racing licenses and stuff like that) to 7 (gentle pootles for beginners) and is very welcoming. If you are riding off the front or generally going too fast, (or don't seem miserable enough on the hills 
) then it's politely suggested that you move up a level. If you are struggling with the pace - or hills - then (in my experience) the ride waits for you at regrouping stops. All extremely friendly, welcoming, and civilised, and I'd recommend them wholeheartedly whatever your level if you happen to live near Bromley.
The only reason I don't ride with them more often is that their group rides are a bit short for my taste (about 50-60 km) - if I have a free day then I like to do 80-150km quite slowly, but I do go out with them when I only have a half day free on a Saturday. That and the fact that I'm a grumpy sod who likes riding alone.
) then it's politely suggested that you move up a level. If you are struggling with the pace - or hills - then (in my experience) the ride waits for you at regrouping stops. All extremely friendly, welcoming, and civilised, and I'd recommend them wholeheartedly whatever your level if you happen to live near Bromley.The only reason I don't ride with them more often is that their group rides are a bit short for my taste (about 50-60 km) - if I have a free day then I like to do 80-150km quite slowly, but I do go out with them when I only have a half day free on a Saturday. That and the fact that I'm a grumpy sod who likes riding alone.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
They went by too fast for me to count!
(I think there were about 10 or 12 riders.)
There is a 20 mile loop from Littleborough, through Todmorden, Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd, then up the 5.5 mile, near-1,000 ft Cragg Vale climb to Blackstone Edge, and a quick descent back to Littleborough. Local chaingangs try and do the loop in an hour. I used to see them shedding riders all the way along the valley to the foot of the climb.
I think it is fair enough to drop riders on a hard training ride. If you want to go at your own pace, then ride solo. If you want to really push yourself, try and keep up with riders who are faster than you.
Social rides are different though. I think the expected speed should be stated before the ride and not exceeded unless all riders are happy with that.
Flick of the Elbow
Guru
- Location
- Edinburgh
And noting the difference between a clubrun and a chaingang.
