Sunday Base Mileage Rides

Hello All,

Can I suggest that we have ride leaders for our club rides? we adopted this at Cambridge Cycling Club and it works fine.

From my little experience with SNCC, we have some great riders and a lot of nice people wanting to help each other and offer advice and ride together each week,

But SNCC do need to make it clear as to the pace of the ride whether it be (S,M, L) routes.

This will help keep the groups together and the pace to everyone's preference, if we have fast riders that want to attack hills, flat etc. and distort the group pace, they are asked to wait further up the ride and re-group when the group passes, but we all finish together as a group.

As I try and do my fast tempo training during the week, I am happy to lead a group from time to time at a pace of 17-19mphand when required ride to the slowest riders pace, although this will vary on hills and with a good tail wind along the flats sometimes speeds up to 24+ mph, but would ensure the group stay's together and always re-group.

Also I would like to gauge your interest in a Saturday ride! MTB or Road

Just a suggestion how does everyone else feel about this?

Kindest Regards Neil Adams

Neil - thanks for your input, I hope its something we talk about at forthcoming SNCC Committee meeting.

My personal view is that as long as everyone knows how far and what pace the group will be riding (and then sticks to it), and that the group is a sensible size, that should allow it to work more easily than having designated 'leaders' in advance - avoiding the need for 'volunteers', which often ended up being the same people time and time again.

There are also a few keen MTBrs amongst us so would hope this is another side to the Club that could be explored. There are ad-hoc rides organised in addition to the Sunday Club Runs; might be an idea to name a date and see how much interest you get

cheers

Simon

We did used to have nominated captains and 2ics for club runs and it used to work very well imho.

Hi there i read i am not alone with regard to this subject,,,now there are 2 ah ah G..

I don't think it changed because we had too many volunteers to lead rides......

Without trying to sound too cynical, but this has come up more than once and I'm not going to repeat myself again by going into detail, but I am broadly in favour of having leaders back on club runs.
But this doesn't sound like a club run? Sounds suspiciously like training to me.
The only thing I will add is that having an advertised or pre-agreed pace (in average MPH) often doesn't work as many riders don't realise what pace they're comfortable with in a group over 50 miles or so.
So in my experience when I've lead groups, I've gone with a general 'no drop' policy and we work to a pace everyone is comfortable with, plus everyone shares the work by rotating at the front. No hiders. And if that means we ride at an average 15-16 mph on a windless day, so be it.


Tony.

Hi Neil,

Ride leaders/captains are a great idea, the problem is finding them and we did used to have them. The problem we now have is the number of people turning up has out stripped the number of people willing and confident enough to volunteer and lead a ride.

As Simon says, this is something that will come up at the next committee meeting and I'm delighted you're happy to put your name forward as a potential ride leader. If anyone else wants to step forward then please shout up - this only works if people volunteer.

Tony, to pick up on your specific point about sounding like a training ride, absolutely not. It is following your 'no drop' policy, making sure that people communicate and work together, establishing the terms for the group (while the fast group might be happy to sprint up a hill, is that appropriate for a more moderately paced ride)and if some one decides to hide away then sprint for a Strava segment a) making sure they don't break up the group in doing so and b) when they're back in calling a spade a spade if that's what's necessary.

Club runs are, first and foremost social rides.

Richard

rostlr wrote:

Tony, to pick up on your specific point about sounding like a training ride, absolutely not. It is following your 'no drop' policy, making sure that people communicate and work together, establishing the terms for the group (while the fast group might be happy to sprint up a hill, is that appropriate for a more moderately paced ride)and if some one decides to hide away then sprint for a Strava segment a) making sure they don't break up the group in doing so and b) when they're back in calling a spade a spade if that's what's necessary.

Club runs are, first and foremost social rides.

But I think there's the rub. Define 'fast' & 'moderate', 17 to 19 mph is pretty quick in some people's eyes. One man's muck is another man's brass and all that.
IMO the only time the group should get strung out is when it's on a decent climb in which case the quicker riders slow tap at the top to allow riders behind to catch up. Otherwise it's a question of etiquette.
We know how groups should ride, but frequently don't and I know how difficult it is to lead a group, but I think it's something I feel everyone should do, and also that people listen. If you're not playing the game and are told so, then accept it and take it for what it is. I've witnessed a few incidents where members being told their riding/behaviour isn't acceptable and threw their toys out of the pram.
If we're going to have ride leaders/group captains back then a) It's run as a club run and leave your ego at home. And b) their word is law. If you don't like it, go home.




Tony.

Really good that this is being debated, and that to me tells that you all recognise the need to introduce a control measure and implement it on the Sundays club rides only.

I guess that's where the issue is in the implementation of ride leaders, Tony you have a valid point saying 17-19 mph is quick for some and you can just ride to the slowest rider but we do need to cater for every rider at the club, as long as it's announced before the ride then members know what to expect.I think the main thing is really really is to regroup,

I have been on several rides now with SNCC and the etiquette is fine and the riders are all very nice people but some do race off and never look back to see who is left down the road and the next time you see them is at Neros. I personally never want to hold any faster rider back and ruin there Sundays ride out hence the suggestion of ride leaders and pace announcement.

Clearly they have started wrong group, but how many groups do we have that's the next point?

What ever is decided I will and many more will give the committee our full backing.

Jesus is that the time sorry must go to work.

I have been on several rides now with SNCC and the etiquette is fine and the riders are all very nice people but some do race off and never look back to see who is left down the road and the next time you see them is at Neros. I personally never want to hold any faster rider back and ruin there Sundays ride out

Maybe I'm missing the point of a group ride then, because if people are racing off then that's out of order (unless it's the sprint for the town sign at the end of course!). IMO, no-one truly gets the ride they want in a group because the group reaches consciously or otherwise a consensus that they ride at a pace and rules are set for the benefit of everyone and that's how it is for the duration of the ride. That consensus rarely works for one person, but is a compromise for everyone.
If I want to ride the ride I want, I'll ride on my own. Personally I think it's selfish to set the parameters to suit me and for everyone to fit around them. That's partly when I've lead groups I didn't state a pace.
FWIW, I'm not saying a pace shouldn't be stated beforehand, just that people should be realistic about their own abilities and the rest of the group should be expected to slow down and take instruction if necessary.


Tony.

Speaking as someone who has got dropped occasionally, but more often has stayed in a group because someone in the group decides to act as the informal 'leader' and asks the group to 'ease up a bit', I think that there is scope to have more control in the Sunday rides (essentially social rides, as commented on earlier) to keep together and 'never leave anyone behind'.
After all, we are not just a racing club and surely there are other times when people can ride their hearts out at maximum effort and 'devil take the hindmost'.
When I first rode with the club what I really liked was the team spirit and camaraderie, which is why I joined.
Yes, announcing the anticipated riding speed is good and let's try to stick to it, but let's also act as a club or team and try to finish together.
And I know that there are others who have not commented on the forum but feel the same way!
Let's try to have everyone www.stneotscyclingclub.info/components/c.../emoticons/smile.png at the end of a Sunday club ride and not www.stneotscyclingclub.info/components/c...s/emoticons/w00t.png !

Stas, with your new bike we're the ones who will be asking for you to ease up !