Author: Andrew Bernard

Saturday Group Rides

• Take place every Saturday
• Rides are offered at 22, 24, 27 and 30kmh usually with a long and a short option
• Sign up via Love Admin between Monday and Friday lunchtime the week before
• No limit on numbers as these rides are self-led
• Groups are contacted via email on Friday and then need to set their own meet place/time

Sunday Group Rides

• Take place 1^st and 3^rd Sunday of each month
• Rides offered to non-members are CATi and Steady Social
  • Limited to groups of six as these are led rides
• Members only ride following the CATi course at 22kmh guide pace
  • No limit on numbers as this ride is self-led
• Sign up via Love Admin up until the Friday before
• Groups contacted via email on Friday with details of meet place/time

Thursday Pub Ride

Slightly more complicated…

In normal times, anyone wanting to ride on a Thursday evening would meet at Hill Top Café at 6.30.  Everyone would ride on the road and there would be one or two groups depending on speed and numbers.  A pub would be agreed where those wishing to do so, could convene at the end of the ride for a drink.  Simple.

More complicated now as most pubs require a booking which is limited to a group of six so it’s no longer possible to make a casual arrangement to meet in an undefined group size at a particular pub.  For this reason, many people are, understandably, making their own arrangements to meet in a group of six and ride before going to a pre-booked pub.  It’s also now common for people to go off road instead of on road.

The best I can suggest is that anyone wanting to ride on a Thursday, who isn’t already in a group of six, posts on Facebook of their intention to ride, where they want to meet and whether they are riding on or off road.  Hopefully there will then always be a reasonable number of people with whom members can ride but obviously I can’t guarantee that this will be the case.  As far as pub bookings go for this format…answers on a postcard maybe as I don’t have the answer.  I imagine that it will become easier to turn up on spec at a pub from May 17^th, when indoor spaces are once again in use, so bookings will no longer be required.

Hope that helps.

Weekend rides are now operating at the old new normal level of groups of six riders again. You can book your place on a Saturday ride at 22, 24, 27 or 30 kmh and on the Sunday CATI and Steady Social Rides. Booking is via Love Admin.

Bookings will open for the Saturday rides at the start of the week and will close at lunchtime on Friday. You will receive an email with details of your ride and the other members of your group.

Unfortunately, the restrictions imposed under the terms of the latest government lockdown limit outdoor sporting activities to no more than two people not from the same household.  Clearly this means that we can’t continue with the current groups of six or fewer that we’ve managed to reintroduce over the last few weeks.  But we can keep riding in pairs and we plan to use the Love Admin system to facilitate this process.

This is how it will (hopefully) work…

I have created new ride groups at 22kmh, 24kmh, 27kmh and 30kmh on both Saturday and Sunday.  If you would like to ride at this pace, but haven’t found a ride partner, then sign up to the group at the pace at which you would like to ride on the day that you would like to ride.  If you want to ride both days then sign up for the ride groups on both days.  I will close the rides on Friday lunchtime and allocate everyone a partner to ride with at the same pace as them.  Clearly if there is an odd number of riders then it will be first come first served so I can’t guarantee to be able to match everyone up.  I will email out a list of partners on Friday afternoon and it will then be up to you to get in touch with each other and arrange your starting point and your route – the ride schedule is still on the website so you could use those routes.  The groups are all listed with a nominal start time of 8.30 but when you actually start is entirely up to you – ideally pick a time and place that you don’t think other pairs will pick.  If you don’t like the partner you’re allocated then you will need to get in touch with them to tell them that you are swiping left.  Similarly if you need to cancel for any other reason.  As this system relies upon me sharing your contact details with other riders, you will need to have approved this in your personal settings.

It’s not ideal but it’s the best we can do under the current circumstances.

I hope everyone is bearing up OK, not where any of us would have chosen to be right now.

Happy riding,

Andrew

We have moved over to the new LoveAdmin platform on Monday. Current members should have their details automatically uploaded/ported over. If your renewal is due and/or your membership has expired, please wait until Monday to renew/rejoin on the new system. Renewals/rejoins/new members WILL still have to pay the £20 membership fee – but your renewal date will be January 2022, along with everyone else. This is a new system for all of us and migrating has been quite a complicated process, so please be patient during the transition process – everything will get sorted and ironed out, but it might not be instantly! I will be reviewing all memberships on both systems (RiderHQ and LoveAdmin), so no-one will fall between the cracks.

We have just received updated guidance from British Cycling regarding the developing situation around COVID19 and organised cycling activities.

British Cycling themselves are suspended all of its sanctioned, cycling activities, initially until April 30. * Update, now 30th June.

Including but not limited to;

• Competitive events at all levels

• Non-competitive, registered events (eg sportives, reliability trials)

• Recreational rides (including HSBC UK Breeze, HSBC UK Guided Rides, HSBC UK Ride Social, Let’s Ride Pop-up)

• All educational courses or activities (eg coaching courses, Ride Leader courses, commissaire courses)

Based on the combination of British Cycling and Government advice the committee has decided to suspend ALL organised club rides and events until further notice.

We will keep you all updated about events due to take place after 30th April and if there are any changes to British Cycling advice.

It is an individual choice if you wish to continue riding solo or in small groups but we please ask that you refrain from wearing club kit as opinion will be divided as to whether we should still be riding and hostility on the road may well increase in the coming weeks.

The full British Cycling update can be found here;

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/…/20200317-about-bc-news-…

Government Advice can be found here;

https://www.gov.uk/…/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-res…—

feeling disappointed.