Skyride

[fluffybunnyuk]

Had a nice 30 miles jaunt out today on a challenging bike ride with some nice big hills. It was a little dispiriting sat on a dawes galaxy, busting a gut going up hills at 8-10mph, and still being left behind but fun nonetheless. Was much faster freewheeling down the hill than the sports bikes though so that was nice.... Did make me wish a little for carbon fibre or something lighter than a tank.

A little spoiled for several people by a ride leader at the back moaning to people to hurry up, and to make unsafe passes on cars, and other misc unsafe stuff. Heres the question, if your at the back of a group and you stop because whatever is required of you is unsafe, do you have the nerve to tell them to take the risk and get run over, or do you just suck it up and make the unsafe behaviour?

I told him where to stick his opinion, which made him distinctly unhappy.

Another thing that occured to me with a group of 20 riders veering all over the place, how come their arnt more RTAs'( road traffic accidents)? I think I saw more incidents than in the last 3 months of cycling solo.

I would mention the H word, me not partaking of that idea. but I dont want it shunting to another forum so please dont

Emma

[easyroller]

Skyrides rend to attract people who are new to group riding, many of whom have never ridden in a group before so have very little idea how to follow a wheel correctly, use proper signals or generally ride safely as part of a group. Then you have two experienced leaders trying to control twenty newbies. It can be a real mess.

At least when a new rider joins a club and goes on their rides, they're surrounded by a lot more experienced riders who can guide them. I feel that is a much safer way to do things rather than a mass bunch of new riders with no clue about bunch riding or road etiquette (not their fault) tackling the ride together.

[Mark1978]

True. But proper clubs can be intimidating if you aren't a fast rider in the first place.

[Elizabethsdad]

Having just done a ride leaders course the rear marker sounds like they could do with a refresher course from your description. As I understand it from my training the rear marker is there to make sure no one gets left behind are goes off-course - not to chivvy people along especially if it is forcing them to take manouvres they are not comfortable with or are unsafe. If you have a large group of fairly new riders you need more than two leaders/escorts so you can spilt into faster and slower groups else you move the slowedt rider up to front with the ride leader and everyone keeps that pace. Group riding is supposed to be an inclusive fun activity.

[Phil Fouracre]

Interesting post, for a number of reasons, coincidentally did a ride leader course myself earlier in the year. Firstly, there should have been more than two leaders for a group of twenty, so not good. Also interesting that OP seems to be happy to criticise, and make various unhelpful comments. If you know so much, why the need to participate in a led ride? Alternatively, again, if you are so knowledgable, why not volunteer rather than moan?

[fluffybunnyuk]

It was a winter special, and I thought it would be fun. My bike seems to like ambling along at 12mph which fitted the group description speed 12mph. What I didn't bargain on was the racers on sports bikes who seemed to be desperately in need of a 30 mile club run at a significantly faster pace constantly going far ahead and dropping the other half of the pack.

I would volunteer if it wasn't for the fact I don't want to be a Lycra lout on a racer. I'm happier plodding along at designated speed viewing the scenery (its why i have a touring bike after all). So it ended up being not all that much fun. Which was a major disappointment given how much I enjoyed the "steady rides".

Theres a local touring club group nearish to me, and as soon as I feel up to the grade I'll join them.

On a side note I averaged 16mph on the way back which seemed to be a little faster than the 12mph advertised. So its no wonder I didnt really have time to take in anything other than the road in front of me.

I'm desperate to avoid "real cyclists" who wear lycra, chat about cadence, and power meters. I thought skyride might be that, apparently not.

It wasn't a moan just an observation about my experience of todays skyride. As an aside the guy who ran the whole thing(different guy) did a great job and seemed to be highly professional (came a long way too to run this 40 miles i think), and worked hard to keep the group together. I dont see many people posting about their skyride experiences so I thought I'd post mine, and invite comment,criticism, and their own experiences.

Emma

[Ayesha]

The next thing to look for is a local AUK Brevet Populaire with a 10 - 20 kmh limit.

[AndyBSG]

Oh dear...

I'm doing my first group ride next weekend which is a Skyride winter special and ambling along at 12MPH is exactly what I was expecting, which is why I chose it and haven't joined a cycle club. Can see me getting very irate if there's some jobsworth ride leader shouting at me!

[Si]

Well, speaking as someone who did the CTC Ride Managers' Course ages ago, and has been leading 'snakes' for yonks now (for an organisation that isn't Sky, but has lots of new riders on it, some of who also do Sky Rides)......

With rides like this it's up to the person at the front to keep the group together, not the one at the back: the rear leader can't make people ride faster than they are comfortable with, but the front leader can slow the front riders down.
Also, as has been said, their ratios are wrong - two leaders is not enough for 20 potentially inexperienced riders.
Furthermore, if the leaders are any good then they shouldn't mind the group splitting on long climbs, indeed, we do this on purpose as it eases pressure from overtaking traffic...it's knowing how to get it back together for junctions that is the important thing.
And ride leaders getting stroppy with riders - just not on.

If I was you, Emma, I'd report the events to whoever runs the rides - these rides are meant to encourage new riders not leave them feeling upset and annoyed....sounds like they are actually putting people off cycling not getting more into it.

[Ayesha]

The trouble with the world in general where cycling is concerned is that from the late seventies, computer games took over from ‘going out on our bikes’ for school children.

Early teeneagers in the mid to late seventies found it more socially acceptable to have their buddies round to play Pacman or Donkey Kong.

A whole generation of cyclists disappeared, and with it disappeared the ability of parents to guide their own children into the joys of ‘going out on our bikes’.

Today, it is more acceptable in a workplace of forty and fifty year olds to chat about Battlefield IV, Call of Duty, GTA5 and Dirt 3. It is more socially accepted at schools to talk about Minecraft, Sims and FIFA 14.

Sadly, there is ‘SOD ALL’ anyone can do about this.

And the culprits of this disaster are,,,

The media, especially the BBC.
Programmes like ‘Tomorrow’s World’ and recently ‘Click’ have and are encouraging vegetation in front of a video game.

Sky TV's involvement in cycling, IMHO, is an advertising campaign, with no interest in the health of Britain's youth.

[Mark1978]

The trouble with the world in general where cycling is concerned is that from the late seventies, computer games took over from ‘going out on our bikes’ for school children.

Which coincided with an explosion in motor traffic levels making cycling much less attractive.

[Ayesha]

What was also strange was attendance at swimming baths fell also. Some public baths were closed.
To many trucks doing lengths?

[meic]

Did the attendance at swimming pools cut out before the closures or after?

I am old enough to remember CHEAP outdoor swimming pools being a day out for the family.
They were replaced by more expensive heated indoor pools. Money could have something to do with it.

[Mark1978]

Also swimming isn't the cheap trip out it used to be. Back in my day primary school took us swimming once a week. I believe that isn't a regular thing now.

[meic]

It was a little dispiriting sat on a dawes galaxy, busting a gut going up hills at 8-10mph

If you bought a new, expensive lightweight bike you could replace that with

It was more than a little dispiriting sat on my Van Nicholas titanium bike, busting a gut going up hills at 8-10mph, thinking this isnt any faster than my old steel Holdsworth and I am thousands of pounds poorer.

and

What's worse, some woman has just overtaken me on a blinkin Dawes.