Could the club support more rides?

[Dominic]

Why don't we have several organised rides like other clubs? You just have to scan through the club websites on Surrey League or BC and most of them hold regular club runs - organised and advertised to the members 3-4 times per week often all year and certainly in the winter. The strangest thing that I have found is that ACC doesn't do a Sunday club run. 20 years ago when I first joined a club we had both Saturday and Sunday rides and we were lucky if our membership numbers ever got above 20. I think the most I ever saw on a club run then was 6 people . Saturday was a hard 2 hours although we kept everybody together until about the last half an hour and then a longer ride on Sunday where the last hour was through and off down the A40. I would be interested in seeing if there was a market for a Sunday club run, certainly in the winter. Surely we have the scope to make Addiscombe a club that offers rides at all levels.

If your in doubt have a look at something like the Redhill CC website to see what they are up to and how big are they? Now turbo training with Ben Instone I wonder

[Andrew G]

I know what you mean and there is to a degree but it tends to be a bit more unofficial. Out of Season I go out both weekend days and if I have a day off then will often go out and do post up ride details for people to join me. I'm happy for anyone to join me on these rides but they are more informal than a CR and I don't want to lead them in the same way (or responsibility) as a CR - the extra don't drop/lose anyone effort of a CR.

I know others do these sort of things and I think they could be kept informal without "leader" responsibility but it would be nice if more people put up rides to offer more variety to different abilities. Amy has been leading a number of rides to different roads too which have been very well received by those that go on them.

It's a bit of a running thing though along similar lines to always going the same route on a CR. Can be a bit [img]http://www.timetriallingforum.co.uk/style_emoticons/default/HeadBang.gif[/img].

[quote="Andrew G"]Amy has been leading a number of rides to different roads too which have been very well received by those that go on them.

[Snoop Doug]

Yes the club could support more rides, what a good idea And of course, it already does, to an extent.

I enjoyed my club run ride on Saturday - though as I did the outleg solo (my choice got bored waiting) I could've been anywhere. Having done this ride for yonks I enjoyed it, felt new and the ride home in a small aggressive bunch was fun. Yes, small bunch, big trains don't really impress me. Sorry, I'm meandering (a bit like these renegade alternative rides eh?).

We do seem rather slavishly wedded to the same old ride (bit like a moonies wedding, kinda). I used to have a Scalextric track when I was a nipper. Round and round and round it went. I got very good at it, then I got bored.

You alternative ride organisers - keep at it. More folk will join you in time, patience is a virtue.

Cheers - Snoop

PS - did the Bolney Pram Race today and am rather tiddled, he he. Not an excuse, just a fact Pics may follow.......hic

[Snoop Doug]

Well now - just look at how many alternative club runs/rides are poppin up. I think the recent response - on the road - is really positive. Amy, Mr G, PVT, Marek, Lord Ingram, Monty et al bringin it on.

I like the club run (clearly so do 100 odd others) - and I like the fact that we're doing all these others. They co exist really nicely. They (probably) help a bit with safety in that we're not al on the road kind of en masse. They help with PR, subtly maybe but we're gettin seen in new places, spending money in new caffs. Wouldn't it be great if this evolution could take a bit of pressure offa Coulsdon South too - I mean, they must get reet peed off with us lot on a Saturday morning eh?

Great stuff

[Graham O]

I quite like the saturday club run, but am quite unpopular with my girls as they want be to do stuff on saturdays sometimes.

I reckon a regular run down into Kent on a sunday morning would be nice. There are cafs in Chiddingstone, Pensurst etc and it makes for a different type of ride with a few hills etc. I wouldn't do too many hills in one go. Perhaps do one of Ide, Toys on way out and back....

Happy to stick a post up one week and work out a route if anyones interested ?

[Antloony]

[quote="Sean Hogan - 何祥"]I'd be up for alternate Sunday rides as a change after May for sure.

Sean

[Graham O]

OK,

Will check out plans at home and put up a post for a ride in the next couple of weeks. I reckon it should be a 'traditional' club run at a sensible pace (i.e 17/18/19) so that all could join in and have a nice ride and chin wag...

The good thing about a club run on a sunday is that it gives the opportunity for people to go out on a saturday and blow their legs off or do a race...the sunday is then really a long leg loosener / recovery type ride for those whom are fast and a more challenging ride for those who are not so fast....

will sort something when I know more about timings etc....

Ta....

Graham...

[Dominic]

I have been canvassing ideas on the subject from other arenas and this was the response I got from a member of another club when they got their's up and running:

From experience it will never really take off until you get buy-in from at least 3 individuals plus committee approval.

We used to split the leading of our Sunday rides between 2 of us with others we could call on. That was back about 6+ yrs ago. The aim was to run them every Sunday from the same time / place from Oct-March. This thing takes a while, believe me - at least 10+ weeks to gain much momentum. For us it was moreso in the second season that it picked up.
The key thing is to do them without fail even if there just 3-4 of you out. That way it gets into people's psyche - and they regard it as a regular fixture. With us it grew to attract other riders as well - partly cos there were not many decent Sunday club runs on offer anyway.

If you keep it ad hoc and jump around wth the start locations / times I'm afraid you will have v low chance of success. In a club of your size you only need to get 4 people to commit to leading one Sunday ride per month without fail and you'll manage it. What we tend to do is ride steady-ish on different routes - often pre-advertising route, but allowing change for wind / weather. I take a couple of photo-copies of a road atlas page and give those out to anybody who wants to turn early.
I tend to find that if people can't keep up they volunteer to turn off early before you have to ask.

I would suggest that you market them as a longer ride for one group initially at an intermediate pace. That way it would cater for most guys - the stronger ones can just spend more time on the front etc for increased work-out. You should point out they are longer / harder than Saturdays so may not suit all, but mention the map thing. By going on different roads etc you will also hopefully teach them to be more self-sufficient? Whilst you may be accused of encouraging exclusive rides - just because Billy Beginner can't keep up, but I would urge you to ignore that and point out that every other club in the country has a proper Sunday ride whilst members use the other rides (eg Saturdays) as a stepping stone to reach that level. Obviously you could just make it a duplicate of the Saturday run but we both know that will gain you next to nothing.

[Graham O]

This seems sensible. I'd be happy to commit to leading a ride once a month. I know the route of the 'old pots' reliability down to ashdown forest via penshurst & groombridge. The good thing about this is that the most of the route signs stay up throughout the year and so its easy to learn. Its a hard ride which is about 80 miles or so and so does take some doing. I have done this with few others over the last few years......

Don't know about discussions and agreements with commitee etc...happy to get involved if need be as i really enjoy this type of ride...

[carl f]

i'll be up for sunday rides,sats are to busy doing kids duty's for me these days
As Graham sais,rides into kent sound good,we did the old ports last year,fantastic route

[Snoop Doug]

Whoop Whoop - this is all good. So happens I inferred to the committee that a release valve for the crowds at CSS (safety hazard Mr Welfare Officer m'lud) could well be the increasing emergence of alternative routes/rides. So - like Graham says this doesn't necessarily need the support of committee but I would hope it'll be along pretty sharpish which can only help....I think.

Word up (leave it out)

Good work Dom et al.

[Graham O]

Not sure we are sorted yet...

I guess what we want is a regular sunday morning ride. I will be able to do 1 or 2 sundays a month, subject to other commitments. I would guess that we would need half a dozen people interested in regular rides to pull off what dominic is talking about. Otherwise it will turn out to be the odd ride on a sunday.

Guess we need to find out who is interested ?

[Stu Merckx Man]

im interested !

[Btn Jane]

I'm interested, though obviously a bit of a random attendee!