This weeks blog has been fueled by an article in Road CC 11 reasons why group rides suck! Let's get one thing very clear...THEY DON'T SUCK!!!
I've only been on my bike twice this week and only ran once. This is largely due to work...because even if you have a job like mine which is both satisfying and worthwhile...you still have to prioritise work over the hugely enjoyable hobby of cycling.
Ride number one was the long awaited return of Corby Capers cyclocross training. Massive thanks to the good people of Rockingham Forest Wheelers for sorting this out with extra special mentions to Mike, Phil, Sean and David. I can't tell you how much I have missed Corby Capers and Muddy Marvels. We had a great session with the new light sabres to illuminate the course. Technically not a group ride but there was a group of us and we did ride so...number 1 riding in a dark field and woods on your own would be rubbish...with your mates you haven't seen in ages its a lot of fun!!!
On Saturday I had another great group ride with the Cyclasylum. Reason number 2 I have had loads of really enjoyable group rides!
The morning didn't start well. That troublesome tyre had lost pressure again so I put more air in. At 80 psi the problem became apparent. This massive gash overwhelmed the sealant and just to really take the mickey was virtually invisible on a deflated tyre. To sort it out I removed the tyre, glued the gash and put an inner tube patch on the inside. Due to being an otherwise excellent tyre it took about five minutes to refit and I can report the fix was successful.
Having spent time on this there was no chance I could join the early birds and I was very nearly late for the mellow birds. There was of course some banter about punctuality as I turned up. Which is reason number 2...group rides have tonnes of banter even when you're limited by the rule of 6.
The route created by Steve M was heading west from K Town towards Long Buckby and as usual for undulating Northants was a total hill fest. In our group we rode our own pace on the hills and then got back together to help each other. Reason 3 we help each other on group rides. Reason 4 drafting.
Between Loddington and Foxhall, Mike tried to remove his gillet whilst riding. He slowed down to do this and £12k of carbon fibre and lycra was overtaken by a lady in a high vis jacket on a cheap hybrid. She definitely saw the funny side of this! Reason 5 there's always something funny going on.
At Haselbech we went down that infamous hill. As it can be sketchy they let me go first. I seem to have a reputation as a skilled descender...the truth is I enjoy the thrill of hurtling downhill a little too much! Its definitely more stupidity than skill! The hill itself lulls you into a false sense of security because the sketchy bit is on the flat at the bottom. There's a slight bend where the road gets lumpy and there's also a large patch of gravel. The only way to tackle this is to hold on for dear life and stay off your brakes! Reason 6 if you crash in a group your mates are there to help you!
As the ride progressed towards Long Buckby I misjudged a hill and ended up on the wrong side of the road on a bend. Luckily for me no cars were coming the other way. This is a good reminder to rein myself in! I'm definitely not as good as I sometimes think.
On the gated roads we caught up with group one which was mostly early birds and they kindly held the gate open for us. We had a banana break at the other end so returned the favour.
During the break we had a good chat about life the universe and everything. Its not all banter on a group ride, there are interesting conversations too. Reason 7 ride conversations Reason 8 you always learn something new on a group ride!
The hills continued such as the one into Guilsborough, then Long Buckby, Ravensthorpe and the three lung busters to Teeton, Spratton and then Brixworth. Steve D led the way up each hill whilst telling us his Garmin hill data. What goes up must come down. The descents were glorious and on wider, straighter roads, a little less risky! Those hills can be demoralising on a solo ride but in a group with others encouraging you they are far less daunting. Reason 8 supporting each other.
I opted out of the coffee stop, mostly because I wanted to get home for the Merseyside Derby. I enjoy most sports, football is way down my list of favourites with rugby, cricket and cycling in the top three. However Everton are my Premier League team and they're doing well for a change. So no golden chai latte and cake for me. However reason 9 for group rides not sucking is the cafe stop. The cafe stop I missed was the Workhouse in Brixworth, a very good cafe!!!
On the ride Mike had complimentary things to say about the cleanliness of my bike. I let him know I use a hose, carplan demon foam and a brush. It takes 5 minutes. The bike needed it because the roads were in their usual minging autumnal state!
Reason 10 talking about bikes.
When I got home I was on 49 miles which is a stupid number so I had a spin round the block until my wahoo got to 50...then Strava was its usual pillock and changed this to 49.97 miles!!!
However once in the house with the bike cleaned everything felt good in the world. This is reason 11. Group rides are good for the soul. They are a vital part of my emotional wellbeing and my physical fitness. I haven't missed a day of work through sickness for years and I'm convinced that cycling, especially group rides are the reason for this.
Reason 12, group rides inspire me to write. I enjoy writing this blog, there's about 60 people who read it most weeks and most of them are people I have enjoyed riding with. I'm never going to make money or win literary prizes but that really isn't important to me.
Group rides don't suck in my opinion. They're brilliant.
Happy Pedalling
