Saturday 29th March 2014

Youth Ride, Quick Start, Ride Out & Powerpack

Once again there were lots of youngsters riding this weekend; KVK hosted a Youth Ride, Quick Start Go-Ride coaching, and an off site mountain bike ride.  Some of our riders attended John Leitch's Power Pack at Cyclopark as well.  So well done to everyone who took part in a session. Rider of the week goes to Polly who rode all three sessions.

Youth Ride - Luke, Sophia, Toni, Calvin, Polly and Hannah all rode towards Plaxtol on the Gover Hill loop ride.  Calvin and Toni had tackled the hill before but it was a first for Luke, Sophia, Polly and Hannah.  A tough climb but a great view at the top.  We rode just over 15 miles at 12mph.  Well done to everyone who rode.

Ride-Out Col de Coldharbour - Veterans of the Col de Coldharbour were reminded just how tough a climb it is for the first time when some of our newer riders joined us for their first Ride-Out.  Well done to Lotte, Sebi, Ben and Max for their first ascent of the Cold de Coldharbour

Quick Start Go-Ride - Another Saturday afternoon, more gloriously sunshine and another vey well attended session, including another new rider, Sammy.

Rider of the week Polly

Quick Starters, showing all the skills needed to ride in the peleton.

We continued our work on group riding, moving on from riding in pairs to riding in a larger group.  With Go-Ride regulars Toni and Luke setting the pace, two groups of seven riders circulated the track focussing on maintaining a regular gap to the rider in front.  Visible improvement was quickly apparent as riders learnt to concentrate and to adjust their speed as necessary.  With improving confidence we combined the two groups so that the entire group of 14 riders were circulating together in two lines, maintaining gaps both to the rider in front and the rider to the side. Magnificent.

A short refreshment break allowed time to set up two identical courses involving a balance beam, corners and a slalom section.  Riders first tackled the course in pairs, trying to keep together throughout.  We then moved on to riding in fours and finally in groups of seven.  The slalom section proved the trickiest; it is important to remember to leave space for the rider next to you to get round the cones, so if you are on the outside do not cut in too close, but stay out wide.

Overall some really good skills were displayed for a first attempt at what is a tricky skill.  Well done to all.

Some brief thoughts:


*         Think about the rider around you - what are they doing and have you left them enough room.

*         Concentrate; by anticipating what is happening around you, you can adjust your speed in a controlled manner avoiding sudden braking (which might cause the rider behind to crash into you!)

*         Stay relaxed and keep talking to the other riders.

Well done everyone - for those on holiday next week I hope you have a really fantastic break; I look forward to seeing everyone else next week at the usual time - sign on from 1.45 for a 2pm start (3pm finish)

Quick Start Go Ride 22nd March 2014

Despite a slightly “dodgy” forecast we had another dry and sunny afternoon for today’s session which focussed on riding in pairs.

We started off with leading and following and initially it was difficult to spot each pair of riders, but it wasn’t long before a huge improvement saw each pair riding as a proper pair, maintaining a small gap between bikes and also maintaining the gap to the pair in front.  Similarly, when riding side by side, riders soon learnt to adjust their speed to maintain their position next to each other.

One of our youngest Quick Starters Tom

After a short break and still in our pairs we worked on riding close enough to touch elbows.  After some early wobbles and as confidence grew, riders started to get the hang of the exercise and by the end each pair had done it and some had progressed to putting their hand on the other rider’s shoulder; absolutely fantastic riding from everyone on what is a tricky skill. It will come in handy when we have a go at riding as a big group.

Podium finishes for some of the Quick Starters

Finally we had a game of bottle pick which gave riders the chance to work on their ability to ride one handed and to move around on the bike; by the end everyone was able to collect a bottle held out for them and some had progressed to picking them up from the crate.  Well done everyone; we’ll revisit this skill again and see whether anyone can manage to pick up some smaller items (and whether they can be dropped in the other crate!!).  Also a  special mention for Tia who started the session reluctant to take a hand of the handlebars, but finished the session collecting bottles and riding one handed.  Brilliant.

 

Some brief points to think about:

·         When riding with others it is essential to talk to each other

·         Be aware of what is going on all around you.

·         When riding close to each other, have a wide grip on the handlebars

·         To make contact with another order safely you must be moving in a steady straight line (not wobbling about)– to do this you need to keep your speed up.

·         Stay relaxed.

Next week we are back to our usual time; sign on from 1.45pm for a 2pm start (3pm finish)

Youth Challenge Ride 16th March 2014

A choice of routes and promise of a sumptuous feed stop tempted seven of our young riders out on Sunday morning. They clocked up 159 miles between them at average speeds of 13-14mph. Great riding from everyone, well done.

Ready for our first Youth Challenge Ride

Feed stop hosted by Malcolm, definitely worth the ride. Homemake cookies, banana bread and go faster water.

After climbing Ide Hill, cake was very welcome.

Go-Ride 15th March

 We started the session with some close riding, and progressed onto turning and stopping using only one hand.  Even our most experienced Go-Riders find all of these things much more challenging on a road bike.  While some of our newer riders worked on the basic drill of collecting and depositing a bottle in the box, more experienced riders attempted tiny items and low platforms.

We finished off with a couple of rounds of Pick Up Challenge where teams of riders race to collect and deliver a range of items including bottles, inner tubes, coins and dust caps.  They won a round each before we ran out of time. Great riding from everyone as usual.  

Quick Start Go-Ride 15th March 2014

Another great session focused on manoeuvring our bikes.

We started off with a slalom and quickly had to make the positioning of the gates more challenging to put an end to the cries of “too easy”.  Some really tight turns had us thinking about speed and positioning and looking ahead to the next gate.

We then looked at cornering and the best line through a right angle corner; everyone seemed to enjoy the opportunity to draw on the playground with chalk and some great artwork helped us establish “the racing line”.  Then it was time to put that into practice, joining our three yellow “dots” - starting out wide, moving across to the inside to the apex of the corner and exiting the corner wide again; when it comes to cornering at higher speeds this line will really help you get through safely and quickly and is a key element of racing.

We finished with some “pin end” races, with pairs of riders racing around two cones.  The tight turns around the cones forced riders to think about adjusting their speed before the turn (other wise it was impossible to make the turn) and using all the available space (starting out wide and finishing the turn wide) to complete the course; remember racing is not all about going as fast as possible at all times; you have to adjust your speed to the conditions.  We also introduced the idea of keeping the inside pedal (ie the one closest to the cone) up when cornering to stop it scrapping on the ground and causing an accident and by the end of the session there was some very clear signs of improvement.

Well done to all riders; there was quite a lot of information to get to grips with in the session and you all did fantastically well and showed some great ability to control the direction of your bikes.

Some key points to consider:

·           Adjust your speed before you start turning

·           Look ‘through’ the corner to where you want the bike to go

·           Use the ‘racing line’ – wide-apex-wide

·           Keep your inside pedal up


Next week we are starting earlier than usual – sign on from 12.45 for a 1pm start (2pm finish) – this is because we having a Go-Ride racing session for our regular Go-Riders at 2pm; Quick Starters are more than welcome to stay on and take part in the Go-Ride racing if they wish to do so after our session has finished (or perhaps just stay and watch for a while so you can get an idea of what it’s all about – we will be having another Go-Ride racing session towards the end of April) 

Quick Start Go-Ride Saturday 8th March

A beautiful sunny afternoon saw thirteen riders developing their braking skills.

After a quick name check (who said I would only get five right??) we practiced braking, riding slowly then accelerating whilst riding in pairs; remember, keep a look out for what is happening ahead and try and keep a gap to the pair in front.

We then moved on to “stop dead / whistle stop” aiming to bring the bikes to a controlled stop as quickly as possible.  This progressed to stopping in a pedal ready position to make getting going again easier before a final challenge of stopping and balancing on the bike without putting a foot on the ground.  By the end there was definitely some stationary balancing going on; brilliant.

After a short break for refreshments (and cone clearance) we played some games, starting with a KVK first ever game of “Mr Wolf” - some great quick stopping (with minimal skidding!) had Mr Wolf wondering whether he would be going hungry!  Finally we split into two groups and played sardines, which combined slow riding, balance and co-ordination and braking.

Well done everyone; another great session with real improvement throughout and some terrific skills on display. 

Some points to think about:

·         Use a steady pressure on the brakes – don’t snatch at them

·         Be aware of what is happening in front of you and use your brakes to adjust your speed as needed.

·         Keep your feet on the pedals until you come to stop – feet are not for braking!!


Next week: usual time – sign on from 1.45 for a 2pm start (3pm finish).

New Stuff ALL weekend

Ok, so Saturday saw our first delegates at the Go-Ride Conference in Dartford.  BC Luke has hounded me for the last two years to go but I've always resisted up until now.  It was good to go along with Claire I, especially as she drove and navigated, all I had to do was get up.  Claire handled the safeguarding side of things, while I went to the coaching workshops.  Was good to put some names and faces together from BC; Rob Mace, Andrew Chaston and John Mills for example.  Best bit for me was the Chimp Management workshop based on Steve Peters model.  Also really good to see our friends Clive Titmarsh (Team Darenth) and Colin Robinson (Thanet RC)  both having their outstanding contribution recognised with lovely big trophies. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Damian and Claire M were taking the Quick Start Go-Ride session.  I was really disappointed to miss the Mr Wolf game that Damian had planned to re-inforce braking technique.  I was reliably informed by Toni that it was awesome, so looking forward to a game of that soon!

I thought I would take advantage of the forecasted good weather to check out a new route I've been thinking about for a while.  Mentioned it to a few regulars and soon found I had plenty of company for my Sunday morning ride.

Ice cream from Barbara's on Weald village green

We clocked up almost 10 miles on a mixture of lanes, unadopted roads and a byway with a mighty big climb thrown in for good measure (oh and an ice cream).  Calvin claims I've been promising him ice cream since Year 5 so I awarded him Rider of the Week, but my decision was contested in favour of Hope, who had worked really hard to keep up with the big wheels.  So Rider of the Week is a joint affair this week: Calvin and Hope, waiting the longest and working the hardest for ice cream respectively.

Next Week Saturday 15th March:
No morning Ride
Quick Start and Regular Go Ride 1.45pm - 3pm

A well deserved rest for Ashley & Sophia

Sunday 16th March: Challenge Ride - road bikes only, details to follow.

Hope was voted our Rider of the Week

Calvin has been waiting a LONG time for this ice cream.

Inglis's on the green

Youth Riders Continue to Impress

With all the excitement of our new Quick Start Go-Ride last weekend I overlooked to report on the Youth Ride, regular Go-Ride session and Power Pack.

I admit that the Penshurst route is one of my favourites but we hadn't done it for a while and it was a glorious day.  My group set off ahead and left Damian with his group to chase us down.  Perfect pace management meant that we regrouped at  'Top of the World', before a leisurely descent to Penshurst Place and then onwards and upwards past PORC on Grove Road.  We stopped for Jelly Babies at the top before continuing on towards Wellers Town.  We appearred to have lost Hannah and Michele but turned out Hannah had a puncture so we sent the rest of the team back to assist.  Polly provided musical accompaniment and the remaining sweeties were divvied up.  Back on the Causeway the kids demonstrated some very efficient and well ordered group riding and we were back in no time.  16 miles @ 12mph.  Outstanding riding from everyone this week.

Saturday 1st March - Youth Ride, Quick Start and Regular Go Ride

A fantastic first session for the many new faces joining our Go-Ride Quick Start group; a huge turn out of 12 riders made for a lively, fun session.

We were focussing on the correct techniques for mounting and dismounting and as well as moving our weight around on the bike and cycling in the ready position.  It was not long before everyone was showing some real improvement.

Some terrific straight riding saw our riders negotiate the narrow channel of cones with minimal contact even when the gap was little more than 6 inches wide (Kary will be very relieved that her brand new cones survived more or less undamaged!!).

We finished with a game of limbo and a slalom and some great skills were on show with riders getting really low on their bikes – you have set the bar really high (or should that be low?) for future limbos!!      

Very well done everyone – a really impressive session.

Just some brief points to think about:

·         Remember to put your pedal in the “pedal ready” position (at 2 o’clock) before you move off so you can get some power down and the bike rolling.

·         Keep look ahead not at the ground right in front of your wheel; the bike will go where you look.

·         Free-wheel (glide) with pedals level and your weight over the centre of the bike.

If you find you  have a few spare moments, why not get out and practice what we learnt – you will be amazed at the difference it makes.  

Next session:  Saturday 8^th March – sign-on at 1.45 for 2pm start (3pm finish).  Remember to bring a drink and a snack