Why do club runs start at 9:00?

velvetytoast

Who decided on 9:00 on Sundays?

If you ride for four hours then you get back about 1:00 and it eats into the afternoon - and p***es off the family - if you start at 8:00 you're back by 12:00 and they're happy / happier (in my house) as there is a feeling that you can quote 'do something with the afternoon' (Mrs Toast)

anyone care to explain which bit of the rules helps me explain the 9:00 start?

Thanks in advance.....

P_Tucker

Back in 1934 every cyclist in the world was balloted and the most popular time was 9am. The next vote will be in 2434.

jibberjim

'cos any earlier than 9am eats into that valuable period called sleeping...

Why not just organise a ride that starts at 7am or 6am - it's what the weirdo early risers with strange families do in our club.

Applespider

I'd much rather they started a little later. I quite like both a slightly long lie and breakfast on a Sunday morning and I can't have both and still get to a start point before 9.

geebee2

Well coffee-stop has to be 11am, that's 2 hours after 9am.

But you are returning far too soon, lunch (i.e. liquid) stop is 1pm, allowing you to return slightly inebriated around 3 or 4 or so. making sure that you cannot be called on to "do something".

chuckcork

If you are in a club and not happy about 9am club runs, why not suggest they go out earlier?

Lead your own club run if necessary.

MountainMonster

Because 9 is not too early, or too late for most people. Tell the wife that's when you ride, and when your back you all do something. Tbh, that 1 hour makes no difference, especially in summer when its bright until 10pm!

I leave at about 730 to go to my "club rubs" (I ride with lots of good friends but not a club), and wife just says have fun, see you at 5. Your wifes probably just mad because that's 1 less hour of nagging and telling you to mow the lawn!

Pseudonym

velvetytoast wrote:

Who decided on 9:00 on Sundays?

just let us know what time you can make it - we'll wait....

sharky1029

I find that my group/club rides are aranged around arriving back between 12 and 3 depending on availability.
So if the ride is 100 miles its an early start from anytime around 7 so that the traffic is quiet.
This does however mean that, being a teenager, I am never up in time and go out mountain biking in the afternoon instead.
Also our rides are on either a saturday or sunday depending on how many are available and on how ridiculous the distance is planned.

oldwelshman

I also prefer later as I have to ride 15 miles to meet up. In the winter this is a pain as it is often dark in the morning, also a pain for clothes as it is always colder leaving at 8 so often have to overdress and remove clothes a bit later in ride.
Also riding early in winter is worse due to ice hanging round on sheltered roads so I often go out in afternoon alone in winter weekends when it is really cold as the sun often thaws it by then.

felgen

jibberjim wrote:

'cos any earlier than 9am eats into that valuable period called sleeping...

Why not just organise a ride that starts at 7am or 6am - it's what the weirdo early risers with strange families do in our club.

Are you getting any sleep then Jim?

My kids dont know its the weekend so I am up at 7am usually in any case, but I usually have work to do, so its either do work and have time with family or do club run and then do work after. The former usually is the case. Prior to the paediatric alarm clock, I am with Jim - it was all I could do to wake up and get to a club run on time...

MarcBC

They don't. My club's runs start at 09:30 on both Saturdays and Wednesdays!

DubaiNeil

Errrm,

Well we start at 06:00 on a Friday & Saturday, and on special "longer" occasions we start between 05:00 and 05:30

Would that suit you? :shock:

Driven by the fact that it's over 40C by 10AM, rather than getting back to families in time to do "jobs" though - TBH I tend to have a little nap between 1PM and 3PM on these days...

Neil

jibberjim

felgen wrote:

jibberjim wrote:

'cos any earlier than 9am eats into that valuable period called sleeping...

Why not just organise a ride that starts at 7am or 6am - it's what the weirdo early risers with strange families do in our club.

Are you getting any sleep then Jim?

Well I tend to wake some time around 6 these days - still wouldn't be keen on hitting the club run until 9 though, just spend the time relaxing with the baby, as you say, there's shit to do, there's hours in the day - doesn't really matter when you do the things.

There's another issue, lots of the good tea stops don't open until 10 or 11 so you're going to be stuck somewhere crappy.

dgstewart

I'll sympathise with you then if no-one else will! Ours is even worse, we start at 10am, so can get back quite late, and it can ruin the rest of the day - I have two small children now, so their daily routine is not so flexible and doesn't run any later in summer.

I often go out earlier myself to make a longer run, and often just skip on the cafe stop and head back myself or with a few others in the same boat. I wish we would start at 9am or earlier, especially in summer. I accept the winter/ice argument, especially our way, so happy with the later start in winter.

BikingBernie

Here in France the local rides to start at 7am in the summer so that eveyone can be back in time for the traditional Sunday family dinner. As a typical lazy Brit I find that after a week at work getting up this early on a Sunday as well is a pain in the bum, so I usually end up going on on my own later in the day. Fortunately in France they haven't sold out Sundays to the retail trade as they have in the UK, so it is quiet whatevertime you go out. Around my way the roads will be practically deserted between noon and 3.

MountainMonster

BikingBernie wrote:

Here in France the local rides to start at 7am in the summer so that eveyone can be back in time for the traditional Sunday family dinner. As a typical lazy Brit I find that after a week at work getting up this early on a Sunday as well is a pain in the bum, so I usually end up going on on my own later in the day. Fortunately in France they haven't sold out Sundays to the retail trade as they have in the UK, so it is quiet whatevertime you go out. Around my way the roads will be practically deserted between noon and 3.

That is quite a good point. Here in Austria almost everything is closed on Sundays and holidays, which makes Sundays a super chilling day which is lovely.

izza

The thought of a relaxing lie in is a dream based on distant memories, because I have 3 young kids.

Other Dads in my area got together and we head out at 7.00 am in order to get back early enough to avoid the other half frowning too much.

fludey

Seeing as our little one gets up every day at 6am anything later than that is a layin. Like the idea of stuff being closed Sunday's, ah remembering the days when roads were quite on a Sunday and petrol was 55p a litre :shock:

Headhuunter

One of the club runs I go on starts at 9.45am. I love it. Not all of us have kids and want to be up at 6am or some other ungodly hour, although I admit that the roads are clearer at daybreak on a Sunday morning but ot sure that makes up for the fact that I am still half asleep....

rick_chasey

Spend that hour extra in bed having sex.

Then everyone wins.

Headhuunter

Rick Chasey wrote:

Spend that hour extra in bed having sex.

Then everyone wins.

I don't usually feel like dashing out for a tough club run after sex, it saps energy, I tend to just wanna lie there....

rogerthecat

I gather most people like to have an extra hour or so in bed on a Sunday, I myself do not and am out at 0700hrs and have just not bothered with a club for that reason, I am however going out this Sunday if you want to join me in Winchester - Christchurch and Back (not the one in New Zealand).

izza

Rick Chasey wrote:

Spend that hour extra in bed having sex.

Then everyone wins.

If you aim for a 6.30 - 7.00 am bike ride, then you can still warm up on the wife and need not wake her.

carl_p

Headhuunter wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Spend that hour extra in bed having sex.

Then everyone wins.

I don't usually feel like dashing out for a tough club run after sex, it saps energy, I tend to just wanna lie there....

Depends if you're paying for it...

rick_chasey

Early morning riders - what I don't understand is why would you go riding when it's cold? Even in summer it's not pure short sleeves weather.

By 10 it's normally warm enough, but 7? sheesh.

ShutUpLegs

Rick Chasey wrote:

Early morning riders - what I don't understand is why would you go riding when it's cold? Even in summer it's not pure short sleeves weather.

By 10 it's normally warm enough, but 7? sheesh.

Less idiots on the roads

Skippy2309

the local club I am looking at does club runs at 7:45 on a saturday, I am looking at leaving around 7:00-7:15 to get there on time :shock:

Getting everything ready tonight along with my breakfast and making sure everythings set up so i just get myself in the bog and out the door tomorrow morning

springtide9

Rick Chasey wrote:

Early morning riders - what I don't understand is why would you go riding when it's cold? Even in summer it's not pure short sleeves weather.
By 10 it's normally warm enough, but 7? sheesh.

Young family. If I get out at 6:30am in the summer, I can do a pretty decent ride and get back mid morning; and have pretty much the full day with the family. As there is pretty much zero impact to family life, so can do it as often as I like.
The first hour can be pretty cold, and it usually means wearing a jacket until the 'nip' has gone.

Pross

Our club runs used to start at 10 but have got moved back to 9 to help in just the situation the OP is talking about. Any earlier (in the winter) and it is barely light and on colder days it is more likely to be icy. I struggle for 9 in winter as I often have to muck out at the stables first and then it is a half hour drive to the start so would rather 10 myself.

rick_chasey

springtide9 wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Early morning riders - what I don't understand is why would you go riding when it's cold? Even in summer it's not pure short sleeves weather.
By 10 it's normally warm enough, but 7? sheesh.

Young family. If I get out at 6:30am in the summer, I can do a pretty decent ride and get back mid morning; and have pretty much the full day with the family. As there is pretty much zero impact to family life, so can do it as often as I like.
The first hour can be pretty cold, and it usually means wearing a jacket until the 'nip' has gone.

Ah it'll be a shitter if it ever gets to that with me.

I'm not really comfortable unless I'm riding in 23+, and my body really doesn't respond well to cold.