Chaingang

As one of the members "considering" a couple of races this year, which is going to be subject to my work and travel commitments, (and also whether I have the strength to be able to cope with the race pace) the following structure for race training has been discussed as follows : -
As I understand the Tuesday night rides will remain a club ride with all levels being able to take part. There is a hard ride going on currently on Thursday nights starting 7pm from Saints, this will become a full on chaingang by the end of the month.

Cheers
Dan

The pace of the Tuesday night ride can also be variable, if the group is smaller and more matched I have found myself 'keeping up' as opposed to with the group. The Sunday ride is really the only more relaxed one - mainly due to the mixed abillity I guess, and the luxury of daylight (o:

Thursday night chain gangs you say - I like the sound of that, but I think for me it will be something to endulge in when it starts getting a little more inviting out there. Before long I will be wheeling out the comedy bike for TT's that night anyway - check out the events calendar for more information (MANY thanks to Andy on that one).

./ant

Just to clarify,at the moment Thursdays 7pm rides are a hard paced ride usually only a small number of riders wishing to train for racing Time trial or just to gain some speed, during Feb. this will develop into an informal chaingang (unlike our Tuesday /Sunday rides where we aim to look after the group on Thursday if you don’t hold the pace your on your own).
When the clocks change and our TT series begins the chain gang will revert to a Tuesday
Leaving Saints at 6:30 pm prompt.

Thursday rides: - If you get dropped on that big hill you are justified in saying, I've done my work for tonight, the fit buggers are not going to wait for me so I am turning for home.

Tuesday/Sunday rides: - If you get dropped on that big hill, you know the fit buggers will stop at the top and have a nice rest whilst you are forced to toil your way to the top. As soon as you get there they will leap on their bikes and shoot off, giving you no time to recover and at a pace just quick enough to be painful, but not so fast that you can quietly slip off the back.

"pace just quick enough to be painful, but not so fast that you can quietly slip off the back"

Andy - nicely put (especially from the point of view of your new pseudonym SMM - we are onto you!). I would agree that there are those times when challenging your usual envelope of ability / comfort zone turns to a drawn out unpleasant experience**.

The drawn out unpleasantness means the battle of cold ride in the dark versus the sofa and a cuppa has somewhat more loaded odds next time around.

While being waited for at the top of most prolonged inclines is very much the de jour experience for my self, its my own fault - too many pies, hours in front of a computer, and not enough riding (and so on); the fact that I push on straight away despite the question "ready?" (and probably not being) is really my own fault. I am not sure how this equates with others observations?

I can almost hear the "if its not really raining its not really training" types saying any ride you come back from and have enjoyed was wasted effort? All very well and good if I am aspiring athlete, however last time I checked I wasnt short listed for Discovery, so I shall do it for what I do it for; the love of it, progress, and in the process some sense of achievment.

From the short period I have been with the club, while the opertunity and support is there for competative riding... its as much about those three values, enjoyment, progress and achievment.

Maybe that's just me ... I'll get back to my glorified typing (o;

** These rides are few and far between.

Good to know the what we offer is appreciated