Anyone from Luton doing the Sat am ride this week :)

jay197

If I ever manage to get the front derailleur/gears to work on this new bike, I am planning to do the "easymode" Saturday morning ride with Luton CC, but not sure if any lutonians are on the forum?

regards,

Jay.

Calpol

I am from near Luton but ride with Icknield Road Club. Club runs are Sundays at nine and leave from Barton Library or Houghton Regis Church on alternate weeks. I have heard that the Luton CC runs are a bit faster paced ie 17mph average so it might be a bit of a stretch if you are a beginner (don't know if you are). IRC runs are a little more relaxed but good for building endurance and getting out to socialise.

jay197

Calpol wrote:

I am from near Luton but ride with Icknield Road Club. Club runs are Sundays at nine and leave from Barton Library or Houghton Regis Church on alternate weeks. I have heard that the Luton CC runs are a bit faster paced ie 17mph average so it might be a bit of a stretch if you are a beginner (don't know if you are). IRC runs are a little more relaxed but good for building endurance and getting out to socialise.

I have not ridden for about 7 years, and I have just moved into the area so don't really know anyone yet.

I only got my new bike yesterday, and have not have a chance to ride it yet, but I did get long mudguards fitted today, so should be gtg whatever the weather now

I have to work Sunday mornings for the next couple of months however or I would join you.

Calpol

I will be looking out for you tomorrow!! Was going to go MTB but will be doing some hill work around Streatley, Sundon and Barton.

jay197

Calpol wrote:

I will be looking out for you tomorrow!! Was going to go MTB but will be doing some hill work around Streatley, Sundon and Barton.

I won't be hard to miss, I will be the one getting overtaken by old ladies on their shopping bikes :oops:

guado78

Hi, i am from Luton, near Toddington Road. I have to fit cycling in around the home life (don't we all?!) however i am usually out on Saturday afternoons for a couple of hours and Thursdays for a longer ride in the evening. You are more than welcome to come along.

Kleed.

jay197

Calpol wrote:

I am from near Luton but ride with Icknield Road Club. Club runs are Sundays at nine and leave from Barton Library or Houghton Regis Church on alternate weeks. I have heard that the Luton CC runs are a bit faster paced ie 17mph average so it might be a bit of a stretch if you are a beginner (don't know if you are). IRC runs are a little more relaxed but good for building endurance and getting out to socialise.

Well I tried to keep up with the Luton CC guys, but I am just way too unfit atm.

Hopefully I will find someone else in Luton who is an unfit as I am to ride with :P

On the plus side , I did discover some beautiful county roads in the Lilley/Barton/Sundon area

I try to ride 2 hours every day, so I hope to get fitter in time.

Regards,

Jay.

jay197

guado78 wrote:

Hi, i am from Luton, near Toddington Road. I have to fit cycling in around the home life (don't we all?!) however i am usually out on Saturday afternoons for a couple of hours and Thursdays for a longer ride in the evening. You are more than welcome to come along.

Kleed.

I can do Saturday afternoons sure, where about do you start from?

guado78

jay197 wrote:

guado78 wrote:

Hi, i am from Luton, near Toddington Road. I have to fit cycling in around the home life (don't we all?!) however i am usually out on Saturday afternoons for a couple of hours and Thursdays for a longer ride in the evening. You are more than welcome to come along.

Kleed.

I can do Saturday afternoons sure, where about do you start from?

I start from Toddington Road and have got quite a few different routes which head out the back past Vauxhall Storage/Spares. From there you can get anywhere you like, out towards Berkhamstead, Leighton Buzzard, Aylesbury, Milton Keynes or the other way is out towards Lilley, Hitchin and Welwyn GC. For a start off can go from Toddington Road out to Flitwick via Barton and return via Toddington Village (25 Miles) or further if you wanted.

jay197

I have only just moved to Luton this month, so I don't mind anywhere really as I am trying to do 20-30 miles every day and then increase on that, week on week, if I can

I think I went past Toddington today on my way back home. What time thursday evening do you usually ride then?

Regards,

Jay.

guado78

Doing 20-30 miles a day will improve your fitness quite quickly i would imagine. I find its always good to do one longer ride per week if possible whilst not forgetting to have a rest day or two. I usually try to get out at around 7.00pm on Thursdays (providing i am not on call for work) and try to get 40-50 miles in depending on time available etc. Depending on the route/distance taken this may take from 2-1/4 to 3-1/2 hours so once done i am ready for shower and bed!

How did you get on today? I have been riding on the road for around 4 yrs now and have been building up fitness with the goal being fit enough to eventually join in with Luton CC or similar although i am yet to contact them.

jay197

guado78 wrote:

How did you get on today? I have been riding on the road for around 4 yrs now and have been building up fitness with the goal being fit enough to eventually join in with Luton CC or similar although i am yet to contact them.

I couldn't keep up with them really my fitness level is way to low at present.

I did manage to get 20-30 miles in today and did loads of hills...................very.......very slowly :oops:

It really is a great area to ride in though the farms and fields of the villages there and get away from the busy and noisy town centre.

The A6 is my new shortcut home :P

john74

Hi im from milton keynes and probably more unfit than you, so if you fancy going for a really slow ride just send me a pm.

NewTTer

guado78 wrote:

Doing 20-30 miles a day will improve your fitness quite quickly i would imagine. I find its always good to do one longer ride per week if possible whilst not forgetting to have a rest day or two. I usually try to get out at around 7.00pm on Thursdays (providing i am not on call for work) and try to get 40-50 miles in depending on time available etc. Depending on the route/distance taken this may take from 2-1/4 to 3-1/2 hours so once done i am ready for shower and bed!

How did you get on today? I have been riding on the road for around 4 yrs now and have been building up fitness with the goal being fit enough to eventually join in with Luton CC or similar although i am yet to contact them.

Please dont take this the wrong way, but if you cannot sustain a reasonable enough pace,to keep up on an average club run after 4 years, you never will. Probably i think you have over estimated where you need to be and should jusr get on and go out with a club

guado78

NewTTer wrote:

guado78 wrote:

Doing 20-30 miles a day will improve your fitness quite quickly i would imagine. I find its always good to do one longer ride per week if possible whilst not forgetting to have a rest day or two. I usually try to get out at around 7.00pm on Thursdays (providing i am not on call for work) and try to get 40-50 miles in depending on time available etc. Depending on the route/distance taken this may take from 2-1/4 to 3-1/2 hours so once done i am ready for shower and bed!

How did you get on today? I have been riding on the road for around 4 yrs now and have been building up fitness with the goal being fit enough to eventually join in with Luton CC or similar although i am yet to contact them.

Please dont take this the wrong way, but if you cannot sustain a reasonable enough pace,to keep up on an average club run after 4 years, you never will. Probably i think you have over estimated where you need to be and should jusr get on and go out with a club

I think its about taking that first step into riding with a club, as i have not done so i do not know what the "average club run" pace is. I think when you hear "Club Run" you assume very high standard of fitness and so you want to be prepared. When i say i have ridden on the road for 4 years, i mean i have only been riding on the road for 4 years (started off commuting 3-4 miles a day and increased over time - only get out a few times a week now due to family commitments), not training for 4 years on the road, i only purchased my first "road bike" (rather than mtb with slicks) in June this year.

As a guide, according to Garmin GPS, I can sustain a 17.3 mph average over a 50 mile route which includes 2250ft of elevation gain, would this be enough to see me through a Luton CC or any other club run?

Calpol

guado78 wrote:

NewTTer wrote:

guado78 wrote:

I think its about taking that first step into riding with a club, as i have not done so i do not know what the "average club run" pace is. I think when you hear "Club Run" you assume very high standard of fitness and so you want to be prepared. When i say i have ridden on the road for 4 years, i mean i have only been riding on the road for 4 years (started off commuting 3-4 miles a day and increased over time - only get out a few times a week now due to family commitments), not training for 4 years on the road, i only purchased my first "road bike" (rather than mtb with slicks) in June this year.

As a guide, according to Garmin GPS, I can sustain a 17.3 mph average over a 50 mile route which includes 2250ft of elevation gain, would this be enough to see me through a Luton CC or any other club run?

At that speed, solo I reckon you would be fine for most club runs. Only organised training runs would be faster. As a guide a lot of social clubs seem to look for 14-16mph. It all depends on what you want from your cycling - get pushed by better riders or just ride for fun and aa bit of company.

guado78

Hi Calpol,

I am definitely looking to improve my fitness/ability so will be looking to get involved with a club sometime soon although i am still happy to socialise and ride for a bit of fun/to meet new people if when i can.

jay197

Well I just did a "leisurely" club run with some of the lovely people at "Icknield Road Club" this morning.

What a great bunch of guys and gals they are too, I had a great time out in the country roads.

We did about 40+miles with a cafe stop halfway, where 71 yr old veteran Roy ate a HUGE full english breakfast.... :shock:

All I could eat was some fruit hehe.

I am absolutely knackered so I will have a day off tomorrow and give my legs a rest.

So if anyone is in Bedforshire I can recommend the Icknield Road Club for all levels from new bloods like me, to verteran road racers like Roy who went up the hills as if they went there.... :shock:

I hope I am that fit when I am 71

Calpol

jay197 wrote:

Well I just did a "leisurely" club run with some of the lovely people at "Icknield Road Club" this morning.

What a great bunch of guys and gals they are too, I had a great time out in the country roads.

We did about 40+miles with a cafe stop halfway, where 71 yr old veteran Roy ate a HUGE full english breakfast.... :shock:

All I could eat was some fruit hehe.

I am absolutely knackered so I will have a day off tomorrow and give my legs a rest.

So if anyone is in Bedforshire I can recommend the Icknield Road Club for all levels from new bloods like me, to verteran road racers like Roy who went up the hills as if they went there.... :shock:

I hope I am that fit when I am 71

Good for you mate - I didn't ride today as I am letting my knees recover after last weekends 190 mile effort. It was quite windy today but the IRC runs can cater for newbies like us. Sometimes two groups go, a faster one and a more even paced group. Its a great way to learn about group riding and get some miles in.

jay197

Yes that's what we did, we split into 2 groups, I was in the slower group of course

The winds were horrendous, they were so strong I got pushed sideways by them a couple of times.