Thursday night chain gang - 30th April 2015

Rhinefield Road in Brockenhurst is being resurfaced this week and as of tonight covered in loose chippings so not suitable for the chain gang this week. So weather permitting we will move the chain gang to the alternative course up and down the old airfield road across Ocknells Plain so plenty of chance to practice riding efficiently against the wind.

Meeting place will be at the car park at Janesmoor Pond where the ice cream van normally is. This is between Fritham and Stony Cross.

This course offers a different opportunity as any riders that get dropped can wait for the group to turn around and then jump on the back again as there will be 6 or 8 runs down the 2.5 mile road.

Start time can move back to 1845 this week. 

I’ll confirm plan by Thursday morning once we have a weather forecast close to the time.

Regards

Barry

Club Ride - Saturday 25th April 2015

This weeks club ride will be just over 100K and will start as usual form the main car park in Brookley Road, Brockenhurst

Depart 0900 so please aim to be at the start for 0850

Out via Ornamental Drive, Bolderwood, Red Shoort, Harbridge, Alderholt, Sandleheath, Rockbourne, Coombe Bissett and the edge of Salisbury. 

Back via Alderbury, Dean, Lockerley, Awbridge, West Wellow and then back through the forest.

Target speed is 17MPH

Route file at:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/9388025

Barry

Thursday Night Chain Gang - 23rd April 2015

Chain gang will be running this week. Depart 1830 from outside St Saviours Church, Rhinefield Road, Brockenhurst as usual

Due to work commitments I won’t be there this week so those that have been out the last couple of weeks please keep the same format running and make any new riders welcome and familiar with the running of the chain gang

Have a good ride and see you next week

Barry

Club Ride - Saturday 18th April

Apologies for the last notice but here is this weeks club ride:

Meet 0850 at the main car park in Brookley Road, Brockenhurst (opposite Tesco)

Out via Burley Road, Setthorns, Sway, Pilley, East End, Sowley, Bucklers Hard, Beaulieu, Dibden Purlieu, Ashurst, Woodlands, Bartley, Nomansland, Roger Penney Way, Blissford Hill then the tea rooms at Hyde for a stop around 75K.

There we plan to meet our colleague Justin who has return from Paris Roubaix with a broken leg. So we can get the full story from him. As you know he is an esteemed geologist and has been conducting research to ascertain what is harder, the femur or a the cobbles on the Trouee d'Arenberg. He now knows.

Then it will the familiar return to Brock via Red Shoot and Bolderwood for just over 100K at a target pace of 17MPH,

Route at
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/9324258

Bill and Adam are planning on running shorter rides as "B" rides so if you want a shorter and easier paced ride there should be kindred spirits.

Weather looks good so look forward to seeing a strong turnout.

Barry

Thursday Night Chain Gang - 16th April 2015

Weather forecast looks good to the chain gang will be rolling again this week

Please arrive warmed up and ready to start at 1830

Start point is outside St Saviours Church, Rhinefield Road, Brockenhurst

Last week we had 8 riders so a wide range of abilities. For newbies we start slow for the first leg and gradually increase the pace but the group then splits into smaller groups who are working at the same speed.

A good workout guaranteed and an excellent way of improving group riding skills.

All welome

Barry

Club Ride - Saturday 11th April

This weeks ride will be a metric century out of the forest and up towards Salisbury

Meeting point as usual main car park in Brookley Road Brockenhurst at 0850 for an 0900 depart.

Route: Rhinefield Road, Bolderwood, Ocknells Plain, Fritham, Bramble Hill, West Wellow, Kents Oak, Dean, Winterslow, Pitton, Alderbury, Downton, Redlynch and Roger Penney Way. Hopefully find a coffee shop somewhere around halfway.

GPX file at http://connect.garmin.com/course/3328163#.UXI5T6yXvFo.email

Planned pace will be 17 MPH

Barry

Thursday Night Chain Gang - re-starts 9th April

Now that the evenings are getting brighter and we’re turning up the intensity of our training the Chain Gang training ride will re-start on Thursday evenings. Thursday has been chosen as to best fit between Tuesday night TT’s and weekend racing / long rides. The rides will involve a 15 minute warm up (please do this yourself before the start) followed by up to an hour of group riding at speed. The rules of the chain gang are harsh but fair. If you’re dropped or have a simple puncture it is up to you to find your own way home, if you crash, are ill or have a serious mechanical the group will stop.
For those of you not familiar with the Chain Gang it can best be described as a road version of a team pursuit or a team time trial. Each rider takes a short turn riding on the front and then moves to the back and takes shelter from the wind. Riding this way enables the group to travel faster than individuals and also practices skills needed for road / circuit racing. Newbies welcome, guidance will be given for those new to the discipline. Those that rode last year certainly improved their skills and fitness over the summer.
There are, however ways in which different abilities are catered for in a chain gang, the stronger riders will take longer turns at the front. Depending on the groups we have I would think that the initial training rides will be running at around 20MPH and in a month or so towards 22-23MPH. If numbers are high we will split into smaller groups so that we are not a hazard to other road users. In such cases we will try and match the fitness of riders as best as possible.
We have practiced this drill a number of times on the Saturday endurance rides and those that ride on the track are well experienced in this discipline and those of you that rode the 2-up also. I propose to run the first couple of rides as training rides so everybody can practice the drill and become familiar with the course. I would also appreciate riders who are experienced at riding in pace lines to join in and improve the quality of the group with their experience. On those two rides we will practice the drills for riding in single and double pace lines so that we can ride hard but safely through the summer.
These rides will require a high level of discipline so please read below what is expected of you:

What to bring:
Road bike, riding on tri bars and being late on the brakes will not be appreciated by other riders. Remember you are responsible for your safety and those around you.
Tubes / pump / multi tool. If you puncture, hard luck. You are responsible for your own repairs.
Mobile phone. If you have a serious problem please call ride leader. If you drop off please text ride leader so we don’t have to turn back fearing the worst.
Lights / reflective clothing. We will be out near dusk on the early rides.
Money, some rides may finish at local pubs.
Drink / energy food.

Do’s and Don’ts
Be aware that everything you do has a knock-on effect on everyone behind and beside you. If you brake out of turn this will have a concertina effect and disrupt the whole group.
Never half wheel. When you hit the front, keep the pace consistent, if climbing keep the effort consistent.
When you come through for your turn and move over to the recovering line, do so smoothly and close to the rider you are taking over from. Don’t leave them with a massive gap.
Don’t leave gaps. If you are struggling to close a gap, wave the rider behind you through.
Don’t nail yourself trying to do super-hard turns if the pace is above what you are capable of or you know you are tiring. If you start to get dropped, the group will have to slow down to look after you, or in some cases you will be dropped. Or you may be able to follow the group whilst you recover.
Show your respect for other cyclists and the drivers with whom we share the road. Remember we represent cycling in the New Forest and want to enhance the reputation of cyclists not hinder it.
If you need to spit, makes sure you’re at the back of the line!

Logistics
We learned last year that having one course that we all knew well worked best. So the meeting point will be outside St Saviours Church in Brockenhurst each week. We may add the airfield road across Ocknells Plain for some variety some weeks but that’s to be decided. The ride will start promptly without a warm up so please do your own warm up routine before the prescribed start time. (We will probably use the airfield road at Ocknells Plain later in the season for some practice in riding into the wind.)
The course will run anti-clockwise, up Rhinefield Road to the A35, then ride easy and single file to the Burley turning, re-start at the top of the first rise and continue to the Queens Head, re-group at the top of the hill by Burley Cricket Club and then continue to Brockenhurst or maybe a little beyond up the Rhinefield Road if we want a longer turn.
We will have to navigate the pinch points between Hincheslea and Brock but hopefully at the time of day we're riding they will be quiet. If you're on the front try and anticipate well in advance whether we should go or ease off.
The first rides will start at 1830 and as daylight improved move to 1845 / 1900. Details each week will be posted at http://nfcc-training.blogspot.co.uk/ as will any cancellations for bad weather.

Look forward to seeing you out on Thursday evenings.

Barry

Club Ride - Shaftsbury Century - now Saturday 4th April

Given the forecast for tomorrow is rain all day on and off I’m going to move the Shaftsbury Century ride to Saturday 4^th April

Depart will be from car park in Brookley Road Brockenhurst at 0830 not 0900

Rendezvous with any other rides at Ashurst station 0900

The Lamb at Nomansland approx. 1000-1010

Probable coffee / cake stop at the community shop in Borad Chalke after 68K and lunch at pub or café in Shaftsbury after about 90K

Please bring a small lock if you have one in case we have to leave bikes outside of the cafe

That will be just over halfway

Bring money for lunch and two spare tubes as it will be a long day. Ride will be steady and probably around 16MPH average to reflect the longer distance.

GPX file http://connect.garmin.com/course/813000#

Its called Shaftsbury 2012 as it’s the same route we’ve used before (more or less)

Hope to see a good turnout

Barry