Reliability Rides - anyone else do them?

Its that time of year! Does anyone else roll up to their local reliability with great expectations and then rudely discover just how unfit they are?
I'm surprised how many people haven't heard of them before, let alone done them. We are lucky we have got a few good ones round here (not so much choice if you live in Scotland sadly)
There's a list here if you want to try one for the first time, they are generally held in Winter, and cost a fiver. After Easter these things tend to get called sportives and the price multiplies considerably!
http://bikesy.co.uk/features/rides/uk-r ... mate-list/
I'm surprised how many people haven't heard of them before, let alone done them. We are lucky we have got a few good ones round here (not so much choice if you live in Scotland sadly)
There's a list here if you want to try one for the first time, they are generally held in Winter, and cost a fiver. After Easter these things tend to get called sportives and the price multiplies considerably!
http://bikesy.co.uk/features/rides/uk-r ... mate-list/
0
Posts
The first one I didn't enjoy it, mainly because most of the other riders were idiots but the route was mostly nice.
The second one was much better - lovely route, I was on my own for the whole thing and tea/cakes at the end.
Not sure if I'm doing any this year - the local ones clash with other events.
Got Hell of the Ashdown and a couple of 200km audaxes, Gently Bentley and the Willy Warmer in the diary as well.
Great route btw, especially up The Wall!
Pretty much every established cycling club in Scotland does one. There are at least a dozen in the Fife, Tayside, Angus, Perthshire region alone - they're just not on that website.
They're mostly full of ageing club members in tatty overshoes who will happily patronise you at the drop of a bottle, or Cat 4 nobbers in the steady group (too scared to go in the big boys group) who're off the front after three miles, never to be seen again. I can't be ar$ed with them anymore.
As mentioned above, once you're into April the price quadruples and people expect timing chips etc.
Edit: I'm writing in the past tense sadly. My cycling these past 4/5 years has been curtailed somewhat. :oops:
Blimey, that sounds a bit grim, and probably why they aren't on that list!
What a way to put newer riders off
https://shropshirecca.uk/shropshire-rel ... amme-2019/
Bridgenorth on the 20th , if you think you are hard enough lol I aint doing it.
I did a blog post:
https://harderfasterlonger.wordpress.co ... emotional/
Cycling blog: https://harderfasterlonger.wordpress.com/
Blog: https://supermurphtt2015.wordpress.com/
TCTP: https://supermurph.wordpress.com/
How far is it? Trying to see distances on that page but there don't seem to be any
https://ridethestruggle.com/blogs/strug ... rides-2019
Can't find details for the one in January :roll:
West Midlands events calendar (includes SCCA series), some have links to routes:
https://www.procyclinguk.com/west-midla ... ides-2019/
Mid Shropshire Wheelers' 48 & 59 mile routes are the same as previous years, details are on midshropshirewheelers.com/2018-reliability-trial/
We usually see 80 or more along, from easy-going social riders to properly quick road race lads looking to get good workout. It's very civilised and sociable.
20th January is CC Bridgnorth, their Facebook page has a pic that says 57 & 32 miles. Is Bridgnorth too big for one cycling club now?
I'll be doing most of these as well. Certainly the Alba Rosa one as that's my club!
Must admit new to me also. Do you have to be affiliated to one of the club's or can you just turn up, pay your money and take your chance?
Turn up and pay 'at the door'. The SCCA ones with a fast group - is just that - fast. It will contain good riders.
I used to be able to hang on, not nowadays - medium group , even though that gets tasty at times.
Got to love the old boys, faded club kit from 1988, bib tights with loops on the bottom, steel frame, down tube shifters with a full sized pump in frame on the seat tube, straight through block, carradice saddle bag, moaning like censored about no mudguards when the weathermen are issuing extreme heat warnings. Jumpers for goalposts?
We need a Brexit harder then diamond to bring this back, the EU with their Chinese carbon frames and fancy Dan Italian modern fabrics have ruined cycling.
58 miles
2:40:00
21.5mph
and that was the B ride.
Not so many 'ageing' clubbies.
Just to clarify, I am supposed to be racing again this season but another year on the clock and I'd have been destroyed even just hanging onto to wheels.
Plan B is to venture out at Market Drayton on the 3td Feb. Slightly friendlier parcours and other 'speed' groups available.
https://www.facebook.com/events/287287368809097/