Weekend of 2nd/3rd March - Club Cluster at Cyclopark & Lee Valley

Club Cluster at Cyclopark; choice of moutain bike or road sessions today.  Looks like most of the KVK riders opted for the trails?

 3rd March - Lee Valley Velodrome - Club Cluster Session

Hope created a speed blur ;-)

Sardines, Sumo or just straight track stand comp?

If you want to find out about track riding, talk to one of the coaches.  The best place to get started is at Herne Hill Velodrome.  Our next club session there is on 24th March.  Contact Kary to sign up.

Saturday 23rd February - Go Ride Kingdom

It was great to be back at Kingdom.  It was very misty though, misty enough to make it onto the risk assessment!

We kicked off with a skills warm up on the Top Loop, which included a gate slalom section designed to get riders out of their saddles and using their body weight to glide through the course.  After that we split into two, Gavin and Gary headed over to the Cafe Loop and we stayed put, working on mounts/dismounts.
  

Having radio communication between the coaches makes it much easier to run the season, and facilitates dynamic planning!  Both groups headed down to the Natural Velodrome for re-fuelling, before cracking on with a Trains and Stations drill to get some efforts in.  An easy spin up Heart Break Hill left us just enough time for a team bib relay, which is always a popular end to the session.

Next week (Saturday March 2nd) we are at Cyclopark for Club Cluster.

Sunday 10th February 2019 - London League Cyclocross Team Champs - Ardingly

It's been a brilliant cross season for our riders.  They've raced consistently well throughout the winter and it's been a pleasure seeing them grow and progress as bike riders.  As well as the London League our younger riders have combined racing with some family trips to other parts of the country.  Hope has also tested out a few National Trophy courses for us.  So it was a fitting end to the season that we were able to field one full youth KVK team (Betsy & The Boys), Hope guested with Velo 4t Cyclopark, Gary, Jez & Malcolm made up the KVK Dads (Gareth was struck down by flu :-() and I joined the KVG team.

The Team! Ivo, Hope, Betsy, Albert & Oliver

The course was a really fun and interesting mix of surfaces; tarmac for the start and mid race sprint section, sand for ultimate handling challenge, rubber chips and of course some mud (this is cyclocross).  Loose tape also played a major part of the mud section, but I'm proud to say I didn't say any KVKs with it wound round their rear mech.

Betsy primed on the start line

Oliver in the sand, blurred by speed!

Ivo celebrating his Overall Series Placing: 3rd Boy U10's

Overall series standings from the KVK were impressive! Full results can be found HERE

U10 Boys - Ivo 3rd Overall
U12 Boys - Albert 6th & Oliver 11th Overall
U10 Girls - Betsy 4th Overall
Youth B Girls - Hope 6th Overall

The series is very generously sponsored by Kinesis; here's a few nice rider pics from them.

Cyclocross racing is very accessible and it's not uncommon to see whole families racing throughout the day.  The KVK Dads stepped up to the mark.  They all survived their first race and put in a good performance, enthusiastically cheered on by the kids!  I'm pretty sure they will be back, as well as being accessible it's addictive!

Joined by the Kent Velo Girls and Kent Velo Boys.  Kent Velo Dads Jez, Gary and Malcolm with Ivo, Oliver and Hope (Albert and Betsy had to leave).

Saturday 9th February - Penshurst Ride Out

I checked up on the definition of both an aquathon and a duathlon neither of which accurately describe today's ride, which involved bike riding, bike swimming, wading, splashing and wind biking.  I wasn't actually there but Michele sent me some photos.  I swear kids never grow out of a fascination with puddles!  It will probably take a week to dry out but I'm sure it was worth it judging by the smiles.

Bridge shot: Harry, Mathias, Reuben, Oliver and Ella

Back at base, sneak preview of laundry challenge which follows this ride!

Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th 2019

Loads of different stuff going on this weekend, here's a few pictures to give you a feel.

Fun and thankfully uneventful ride at Bedgebury for young and old alike. Amazingly we all arrived back at the bottom of Cake Run at the same time, perfect for Michele to catch a group picture!

Meanwhile over in Bexley the crazy cross team were racing as usual. 

Wonder if the kids have lured Thomas over to the dark side?

Hope at Lee Valley; it's warmer inside and there's no mud.  You just have to get up VERY early ;-)

Queen of colour coding, wonder what's going on in the sock department?

Ride Out Season January 2019

Our focus for January is building fitness by riding off site.  The theory here is that when it's really chilly it's better to keep moving.  However, we do have to concede that sometimes it's just too cold to be outside for most people.  There are of course always exceptions to the rule!

When deciding whether or not to run the ride we consider the temperature but also the wind chill, which affects cyclists particularly badly.  When riding in winter it's really important to wear adequate clothing AND to have an additional layer that you can put on if the weather gets worse or we have to stop for a puncture or accident.

Let's hope we get plenty of riding in and hit the spring in top top fitness!

Saturday 12th January - Michele & Calvin's Ride Out from Hayesden Country Park

Riders: Harry, Oliver, Ivo, Hannah S, Tom, Jess, Isaac, Leon, Hannah M. and Dylan

Well done to everyone who rode. Hayesen to Penshurst Place return clocks in at about 7 miles, with two decent climbs and the sharp escarpment at the reservoir.  

Saturday 19th January Kary's Ride Out from West Wood Rec. - Col de Coldharbour

Riders: Zach, Hannah S, Jess, Ivo, Oliver, Darcey, Tom, Hope, Alice, Bronnie, Ewan, Fraser, Dylan, Reuben &  Mathias.

Heading up the lane........

Group shot minus Reuben, Mathias & Zach who has to shoot off.

Top of Horns Lodge Lane #2, time for candy ;-)

Calvin's group whizzing past us all on the bumpy field

Two groups meeting at the bottom of Horns Lodge Lane, we never did come across Jez's group!

It was great to see so many of our youngsters and their parents enthusiastic to get out an ride today.  We split into three(ish) groups, with Calvin & Gary heading off with Hope, Ivo, Oliver and Tom. Next off was Jez with Zach, Fraser, Jess & Darcey. Michele and I set off with Bronnie, Alice, Hannah S & Ewan.  Late arrivals Reuben and Matthias tried to make the gap with Malcolm :-).

An hour an a bit later and everyone was back! Stronger riders managed 10 miles (that was 3 laps of the top loop) everyone else completed 7.5 miles.  Great work, I was home by 11.30am which left the rest of the day to warm up!

Saturday 26th January - Michele's Bedgebury Ride Out

10 Riders today: Alice, Bronnie, Ella, Alfie, Fin, Reuben, Matthias, Fraser & Ewan. Everyone managed a good paced lap of the family trail (9km) plus some diversions on the red route. Not sure what distance that added up to, but everyone got back happy, not looking too tired, so maybe they could have done it all again!

Sunday 6th January London League at Redbridge Cycling Centre AKA Hog Hill!

The usual suspects! Ivo, Albert, Betsy, Oliver & Walter! (He can't race with that dummy ;-))