Chain gang 29/4/09

[Marky Mark]

[quote="woody"]I thought I saw you, Ant,(new bike?) as I sat at the lights at West Wickham. I hope you all had a good ride.

I will one day return on Saturdays, just a small matter of 3000 table tennis bats to make.

Ho hum just think of all the money I'm saving on new tyres, chain, wheels, brakes, handlebar tape, oil, oil cleaner etc etc

[huw williams]

You're making it sound like ACC hi-jacked the ride which is not the case. There were as many Dulwich boys mixing it up at the front as there were ACCers - it wasn't a case of ACC 'riding off the front' it was a case of several Dulwich and members of a few other clubs (including ACC) drifting off the back, because the pace was too high. There was no shortage of Dulwich riders coming through on the front and happy to contribute to the speed and not a single suggestion that the speed was too high or a single complaint about the make up/dynamic of the group.

At the re-group on top of Pole Hill a few of the dropped riders re-joined and were very happy that despite being dropped, we'd waited and they didn't have to crawl back alone. Before the split at Bromley I was thanked for our contribution to the ride and left with a "hope to see you all next week" comment which was very much appreciated.

As for the ACC not welcoming riders from other clubs on saturday mornings that is the Captain's choice - personally I think the more experienced riders that join our rides the better for everyone and the more chance there is of increasing the membership even further.

On the pace of various chain-gang rides, a couple of the riders out last night confirmed that they are regular thursday night attendees and were there last night because Palace had been cancelled on tuesday. They confirmed that the pace is highly variable on tuesdays and thursdays, as it is on wednesdays, depending on who is out, often faster and often slower than last night's ride.

Be interesting to see what the Dulwich guys say on their forum but last night there was nothing but positive feedback from them so I can't see any problem. I'm sure they'll let us know if there is and we'll respect their decisions regarding our presence and our behaviour

H

[quote]Pole Hill (sp)

[Antloony]

[quote="Maria David"]I don't think there's anything to be proud of - turning up on what is supposed to be a group ride and blasting off the front - especially when it's not even your own club ride!!

[Maria David]

Listen, I don't need to make assumptions. The comments you make mean what they say. Read them yourself - not just on this week's post but on posts from previous weeks.

No I wasn't there yesterday and I didn't need to be. Note that there is a general rule that people don't put negative notes about other clubs on their forums, especially when there is open access. This sort of thing would be discussed in person.

The burn-up on Polhill followed by waiting at the roundabout is part of the ride routine, so is the burn-up through Farnborough village and waiting at the lights. It's not worth mentioning that as a show of "decency".

There is a perennial problem on the Wednesday rides of people turning up who should be sticking to the Tuesday and the Thursday rides. This has been discussed on the Dulwich forum to it's members. The problem is worsened by non-members turning up and exacerbating the problem. Just because others do it, does not mean you have to join. Are you really going to blindly follow others when what they are doing is not right??
I have nothing against any non-member turning up. I just don't think it's right that they should be treating this as some sort of de facto race and adding to a problem that many have spent a long time trying overcome. There's no need for you to get defensive about this. Just turn up and do it by the book!

Anyway, for all this discussion it still does not take away from the fact that you profess to being in one of the largest clubs in London and on a Wednesday night you're turning up at another club's chaingang, while your own official club chain gang only has 3 or 4 on it. These riders who turn up are even quite local to where you live. Do you not want to support your own club initiatives?? I shall rest my case, but not before referring you back to the post entitled "Can the Club Support more rides." (The ACC rides, I assume!)

[quote="Maria David"]Listen, I don't need to make assumptions. The comments you make mean what they say. Read them yourself - not just on this week's post but on posts from previous weeks.

[huw williams]

Yep, good points these, although the overwhelming impression last night was that we WERE doing things by the book. Like I say there were no complaints and it was as much the Dulwich contributing to the pace as we were, if this is NOT correct procedure and it was drawn to our attention then we would be happy to comply with the wishes of the promoting club (so to speak).

On a more positive note I was amazed at how disciplined the group was from the off - that's some of the best and safest riding I've seen in ages, amazing considering the speed and so many different clubs and individuals represented. As soon as the hammer went down on Layhams a classic double pace line formed naturally without anyone having to instigate it and the changeovers were supersmooth. T & Os were like clockwork (even if you were doing more offing than throughing and despite narrow lanes and oncoming traffic I didn't see any instances of close shaves. Very impressed.

[huw williams]

[quote]I will agree with you on this point and its something I find frustrating that a club the size of ACC can't even get a dozen members out on a sunny wednesday evening to enjoy a few hard miles in good company. If smaller clubs can manage a great turn out like last night why can't we?

[Snoop Doug]

There's some interesting stuff in here, though I don't like to see folk I like getting digs in, chill y'all.

Funny enough...I was going to make a proposal @ next committee about opening up rides on a reciprocal basis. So the idea would be that ACC writes to/contacts a few local clubs and says something like, how's about you guys free to join us and likewise. Nothing formal but I think that could be great for making one big happy cycling family. Start with one or two and maybe see how it goes? Maybe pick from clubs like:

Bec, NP, Epsom, Dulwich, Redhill, East Grinstead...?

Just an idea...so please be gentle with me

Snoop

[Antloony]

[quote="huw williams"]Cos you'll rip their legs off

[quote="Snoop Doug"] Just an idea...so please be gentle with me. Snoop

[quote="huw williams"][quote="Snoop Doug"] Just an idea...so please be gentle with me. Snoop

[adrian]

Great ride last night - shame I wasn't able to hang on longer than about 15 minutes .

Thought I might struggle when I saw Sylv, Ant etc out and remembered that Palace had been rained off. But I intuited that the slower group would be too slow so set off with the first group to see what would happen.

As we approached the police-dog training place at the top of Layhams I was blowing hard and gurning dangerously (9.8 on the Rictus scale). As the T&O got under way, each person on the front seemed to hike up the speed a little more, so that by the time I got up there, it was all I could do to keep up with Serge, let alone go past him. This was the proverbial moment of clarity, and I was then not so much spat out the back as ejected like a piece of sweetcorn by lungs the size of industrial bellows.

Suddenly all was quiet again in the lanes. As the group disappeared from view ahead and the prospect of a solo ride in the half-dark loomed, the temptation to turn back and mope home was almost irresistible. But just then a fellow vomitee (in a DP jersey) came alongside and we so worked together along Featherbed (how long a drag is THAT? ) and to the top of Titsey. He seemed less worried about the loose gravel on the descent there than me, so by the left turn onto the Pilgrim's Way, I was alone again (naturally). Luckily for me another DP chap (on a black Colnago, wearing a red Assos top), who'd also been dropped, had missed the turn so we ended up riding together until the Farnborough Hill turnoff. He's a pretty strong rider - I'd also seen him in action last week - and up the hills I was maxing out again just to hold his wheel.

So despite the initial demoralising shoeing, I got a pretty decent ride in again and felt pretty good when I got in. I've got no complaints - if it's as fast as that every week, I'll just try to hang on for longer.

[huw williams]

[quote="adrian"] gurning dangerously (9.8 on the Rictus scale)

[Andy E]

[quote="huw williams"]Yeah, I really noticed that knee holding you back last night as you're ass disappeared into the distance up Poll Hill