ACC chaingangs

[Amy]

I thought I'd stick this here to start the ball rolling and see if we can get something a bit more solid going...

There was a brief discussion about a chaingang in the cafe yesterday with Philf mentioning that he'd like to come out on an evening go out with a group of similarly speed-challenged riders (I don't think that was quite what he said but it's close ).

I'd been thinking about a chaingang this week and at least one other person said they wanted to get out midweek to help improved their fitness and speed. So...

is anyone else interested? It would be nice to get all levels of people involved so that you aren't left alone before the groups made it over the motorway junction

Actually it would be nice not to do the motorway junction, particularly at night and in bad conditions - I also didn't like the similar junction just above Gatwick on both sides - I felt very exposed and vulnerable to traffic speeding on and off the motorway there... I've been looking at the map and trying to see an alternative.

Does anyone have any thoughts on where we could go and where meet if not CSS? What kind of distance is an evening chaingang? Would meeting at Purley and going along the A22 be OK (down to East Grinstead?)?

If we do go out on the usual club run route through Merstham, would it be better to keep the group steady and together until it's passed the motorway junction?

OK, over to you guys... and girls

[Andrew G]

A22 Purley and heading south is a big NO. You don't want to ride the Caterham Bypass at any time of day or any ride let alone a chaingang with dropping light/at night. Very dangerous strech of road which drags up and would slow you on a bike whilst traffic would pass at 60+mph varying from dual to single carriageway at the bends right and left and would scare the bejesus out of most people on a bike. You never see bikes on it, and after that you'd then have to cross the M25 junction RAB to continue south.

It's not flat but no hills, just rolling, is the A25. If you meet at Redhill then folk can get there how they choose, lanes, main road, train, car, and then head west through Bletchingley, Godstone, Oxted to Westerham. Turn and return. A climb out of Redhill but you could just ride that and get started at the top of the hill, you could meet at the top but it would probably be easier to meet at the station in Redhill or somewhere similarly prominent. There's a couple of places where you'd need to ease like through Bletchingley and Godstone but that would just be easing up and riding through before winding it up again. You could vary the length to see what fits for your turn point. It's basically wide single carriageway with plenty of room and a generally safe stretch of road. there are a couple of kicks that would test a bit but a chaingang should be a test.

[Amy]

Yes, I was also looking at the A25 - in either direction but, personally, I'd like the meet so that most people can get there relatively easily by bike...

As I said above, the A23/M23 junction is OK if you have a big enough group to be seen going over together.

[Andrew G]

The problem is always going to be getting out of town. You could do A23 from CSS to Redhill then turn left on to A25 to avoid the Gatwick stretches of road. If you head the other way you'd have to go through Dorking which would be a bit of a faff with slowing and traffic lights. It also gets a lot narrower after Dorking whereas the other direction towards Westerham is nice and wide.

Otherwise you're best bet is probably from the other side of Croydon and going from Elmers End out towards Badgers Mount theb right up to turn at the RAB just before Polhill Garden Centre. You really want wide big roads for chaingangs at night with plenty of visability ahead so you can be seen so have to steer clear of the B road stuff as it has too many blind bends.

[Iliya]

How about from CSS (or Purley) head reverse of Box Hill club run towards Kingswood and Tadworth round about. Then instead of cycling on B2032, we could go on back roads through Walton On The Hill towards Headley, cycle around Epsom Downs and come back to Purley through Banstead. Thoughts?

[Dan_K]

I'm up for an evening chaingang. Think any road locally is busy really so not much to choose from!
I'd sooner start in the Coulsdon/Croydon area so I can ride from home.

[Dombo]

[quote="Andrew G"]A22 Purley and heading south is a big NO. You don't want to ride the Caterham Bypass at any time of day or any ride let alone a chaingang with dropping light/at night.

[Phil H]

Hmm. The A217 can be very busy and nasty - shame I can't avoid it if I want to go anywhere. There are a few cameras but not many. I might have a look tonight to see if it's as bad at night as I remember.

[Antloony]

The 217 is dodgy, no one sticks to the 40 limit unless crawling past the cameras. It might be quiet enough after rush hour though and it is nice and wide.

I'm up for some CG action now my work load has lightened and I can spare the time.

[Toks]

[quote="Amy"]I thought I'd stick this here to start the ball rolling and see if we can get something a bit more solid going...

There was a brief discussion about a chaingang in the cafe yesterday with Philf mentioning that he'd like to come out on an evening go out with a group of similarly speed-challenged riders (I don't think that was quite what he said but it's close ).

I'd been thinking about a chaingang this week and at least one other person said they wanted to get out midweek to help improved their fitness and speed. So...

[quote="Toks"][quote="Amy"]I thought I'd stick this here to start the ball rolling and see if we can get something a bit more solid going...

There was a brief discussion about a chaingang in the cafe yesterday with Philf mentioning that he'd like to come out on an evening go out with a group of similarly speed-challenged riders (I don't think that was quite what he said but it's close ).

I'd been thinking about a chaingang this week and at least one other person said they wanted to get out midweek to help improved their fitness and speed. So...

[Amy]

Nice of you to rain on our parade, Toks. I merely thought to kick off discussions well before we actually needed to start anything so as to get route, time, interest etc sorted out.

I'll leave to the experienced chaingangers to agree a route and a time (I'm free any evening) and then we can start advertising it to the rest of the club… How does that sound?

[Toks]

Appologies Amy, I'm probably coming across a bit negatively. Any additional quality riding will of course improve fitness levels for those of us who currectly don't have the luxury of training for 12 + hours per week. Its still baffling that our club only has one official dedicated ride each week. Anyway I'll shut up now. Good luck, I hope you can get it off the ground very soon

[Dan_K]

Is there any reason why this has to be a "chaningang" ride?
Couldn't we organise a midweek training ride whereby we don't need a wide flat road to ride on?
How many people realistically are going to turn up? If it's just 4-5 people who show, why can't we do a training ride with varied routes and just keep the day, time and meeting place the same? If just 1-2 people show the ride can still go ahead without the need of forming a chain.
Midweek training of any kind will benefit. If the people attending know it's a ride to push themselves on and it's a self-sufficient ride, it could be a good.

[philf]

Amy - That's why we need an alternative CR day - Sunday, for those who can't get out, or who struggle to get out, on a Saturday (I'd probably be late for that one too, however). One of our VCs is I think keen on getting this idea going later this month

If we could at least establish a decent midweekish CG route for aspiring plodders like myself, and maybe ride it two or three times before the clocks change and winter gets a grip, we could resurrect it in the spring?

It doesn't have to be a CG-type ride, but whatever it is I'd like to go with people of the same (mediocre) ability as me, so that I'm not frustrating them, or getting my legs ripped off