Sunday 9th March

Should be a nice day for it if wind packs in and I don't crashout satdy .

Also thinking the same thing, alternate ride if numbers too large. Likely to be more of a hooligan ride, ripping it up to be expected, nay welcomed!

cracking ride today....sunny...no wind...good pace and great bunch of people to ride with....loved being back on the chain, put a big smile on my face!!! Cant believe we successfully rotated that many people for that long (10ish miles) well done to everyone, especially those who have never done through and off before!!

I had it at around 36 riders in the captains A group!

Absolutely everyone who rode on this ride has the ability to ride with the A group week in week out!!!

62miles shop and back

18.1mph average

Chapeau to all and roll on Chaineys!!!

Dan

I agree with Rick. Great ride yesterday, good pace and hard climbs. It would have been nice to have a few more from the Captains group join us if only to make his group a bit smaller.  Also chapeau to Rick for bringing a new meaning to the cafe stop : Apple pie and cream, followed by a bottle of San Miguel and a fag

Without wishing to open up that old can of worms- he says opening the can- I do think the group was too large to be managable on this ride. I chose to remain at the back for two reasons, there was a yountg rider from Southport CC (Dan, I think) who had tagged along with Charlie, who at times was dangling off the back. It transpires that he'd been racing on Saturday so was no slouch, but just a little tired i think and i was concerned we didn't drop him. Secondly, after the little shunt in Rainford where a couple of people rear-ended due to a narrowing cycling corridor ( parked car and lorry coming the other way) and a slowing of the group, I felt safer at the back.

There were 27 in the group!

The video i took from the ride shows us at times occupying the full width of the carriageway, due to staggered riding , occsionally more than the whole of one lane.

Whilst, I believe we should share the road - cyclists/drivers:drivers/cyclists- and be respectful of each other, I can understand, but not condone, the frustration some drivers have about being behind such a large group. That said for 97% of the ride the drivers were very accomodating and waited a respectful distance behind the group on one of the few uphill drags we completed, untill they were able to pass. but given the experience of white van man last week on the costal run; not everyone is willing to share.

There are lots of very strong riders this year and it may be beneficial for some of them to consistently step up with Wilko- although I note sometimes the distance/time  discourages some people.  Equally, there are a number of riders who know the area well- far better than me (Mr Brownett)- who could lead equally interesting and testing rides of smaller groups. 

Just a thought and one that perhaps we may mull over at a club meeting sometime soon- is't it supposed to be first Wednesday of the month? Maybe April then?

I can't make it out this weekend or the weekend after due to first family and second work commitments, but i'm happy to lead a ride the week after.

So much so, that if there is the interest i can lead a 70 miler round and down to Cheshire from the shop, or if a shorter one required - drive out to Warrington and ride from there- thoughts?

 

Simon

 

A few good points to debate. The first being the group size - a big group can be an issue for passing traffic, but ultimately it sounds from Simon's experience at the back that it wasn't so much the size of the group but more the way some of the group was riding that made the issue. Unless we are on a quiet stretch of road on a steep incline where we will go it alone to the top we MUST stay in line and ride as a tight group. I remained behind one rider (who shall remain nameless) for a good while after Orrell Post all the way up to Standish and on towards the A6. This person was not very strong on the long steady climbs, but people were battling to get past instead of slowing it down at the front and staying in line going up as a group, all this despite calls to slow the front. Now, you could argue this is down to some people not being strong enough for the group, which is a seperate debate, but ultimately whilst we're out we should support those who are riding with us and not treat them as an obstacle that we need to get past at all costs. Second of all was the issue raised with the riders coming down in Rainford. I was 'lucky' to be towards the front at this point and saw what caused this and I can say that it wouldn't have mattered how big the group was, it was caused by a car pulling out of an offside junction straight into our carriageway to pass stationary vehicles without checking it was clear - there was nothing we as a group did, or could have done to avoid this other than stay in bed that morning. As Ste has said, riding on the front makes you stronger and shares the workload for the whole group. If you want to ride with the 'A' group, in my humble opinion, I think you should be prepared to do your fair share on the front and not leave it up to the same faces week in, week out. (Simon, that's not a dig at you because I understand the reason why you stayed at the back and know you don't shy away from the front normally.) However, every week I have been out on a Sunday there has been a number of 'wheel suckers' hiding at the back waiting to take all the glory at a sprint or climb with their nice fresh legs - it's not cricket gents, get on the front and do your fair share with the rest of us. I hope that's not too controversial or out spoken, but I genuinely believe it's something that would help the whole group and individuals too. Now, I'm throwing the can of worms to someone else!